


Forever and Then Some

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-12-26 00:58:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 39,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12048000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: Caitlin knew two things. 1. Leaving was hard. 2. Starting over was even harder. Luckily, one Barry Allen will do whatever it takes to show her she's not alone. Snowbarry





	1. Chapter 1

“C’mon, Cait! We’re going to be late!” Nicole called and Caitlin sighed. Trust her godmother to be punctual down to the last second. She took one more look at her empty bedroom before walking out and quietly shutting the door, willing herself to not cry. She made her way down the stairs and into their kitchen, watching Nicole as she gathered up the last bit of their odds and ends.

“Tell me again why I have to move from London back to Central City?” Caitlin asked for the umpteenth time. She knew the answer of course, she just wanted to make her godmother say it again so she could realize how truly awful she was being by making her do this.

“Cait, you know why. I got a job offer with my old company that pays better than my current one,” Nicole replied. 

“So why can’t you go and I stay? I’ve lived in London since I was five. I love it here,” Caitlin emphasized her point by actually stomping her foot.

“One, I promised your parents when you were born that if anything happened to them, I’d take you in. Two, you’re not eighteen yet, so you’re still under my care,” Nicole said calmly, ignoring the temper tantrum that was surely about to come spewing out of Caitlin. 

“Nicole, I turn eighteen in two months. Why can’t you move then so I can stay here?” Caitlin demanded as she folded her arms across her chest. She knew she was fighting a long-lost battle but she’d be damned if she didn’t try one last time. 

“Cait, don’t push me on this. You know you’re not going to win,” Nicole laughed and Caitlin rolled her eyes. She did know that. Still, it didn’t make her any less stubborn.

“How am I supposed to visit Ronnie now?” Caitlin inquired and then winced, wishing that after five long months, the wound still wasn’t so raw. Her boyfriend had died in a car crash five months ago and she spent every evening after school talking to his grave. It made her feel better; to think that he was still there, helping her. 

Nicole sighed as she placed a motherly hand on Caitlin’s shoulder.

“It’s unfair that your life has seen so much tragedy. I think that getting away from it all for a while will be good for you. You can still come back when it’s time for college,” Nicole reminded her and Caitlin sighed, before eventually nodding. 

“Alright, let’s get to the stupid airport so I can begin the process of “getting away from it all”,” she grumbled and Nicole laughed softly.

“That’s the spirit!” Nicole enthused and the two made their way out of their flat and towards the cab that was waiting outside for them, ready to take them to the airport. 

Caitlin pressed her head against the window of the cab and watched as her home, her life, was pulled further and further away from her. She couldn’t help it as a couple of tears escaped but she wiped them away roughly. She would be strong for this. A year was nothing in the grand scheme of things and then she’d be back to where she belonged. Sighing, she settled in for the long journey, not knowing that what would come would change her life forever.


	2. Chapter 2

After a long flight, including two layovers, they had finally made it back to Central City.

It had been thirteen years since Caitlin had last been here. She could barely remember anything about it; just like she could barely remember anything about her parents. They had both been doctors, that much she knew. She also knew that they had both been enjoying a night to themselves when their car had been struck by another car, one that was spinning out of control due to an ice patch on the ground. She wasn’t sure why everyone she loved had to leave her but here she was. Sighing, she got into the cab that Nicole had flagged down. 

“Almost there, Cait,” Nicole said softly as her godmother noticed how tired Caitlin truly was. Caitlin sighed and resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. While she knew this job was better pay, it still didn’t comfort Caitlin. Her life had been uprooted for the second time and she wasn’t sure how she was going to cope with that. Sighing again, Caitlin just rested her head against the cool window of the cab and, after realizing she wasn’t going to engage in conversation, Nicole stopped talking. 

Eventually, they made it to the house Nicole had rented and they got out of the cab. Caitlin looked at the house, taking everything in. It was a two story, red brick house, with ivory plants crawling up the side of it and big willow trees crisscrossing in the yard. They were basically living in the woods. The two women made their way up to the house and, after unlocking the door, made their way inside. It was empty, obviously, but looked like it was big. There were spacious rooms, at least. 

“Our bedrooms are on the second floor. Yours’ is the last one on the right side; you’ve even got your own bathroom,” Nicole said. Caitlin raised an eyebrow.

“If you’re trying to bribe me into liking this house, you’ve got a lot more work to do,” Caitlin replied flatly and Nicole laughed.

“Since when I have ever been known to bribe you?” Nicole asked pointedly and Caitlin laughed slightly.

“I’ve got to give you that one,” she admitted. Caitlin then made her way upstairs and to the last room on the right. After opening the door, she took in the bedroom. It was bigger than her room in their flat, that much was clear. There was also a window with a seat on it that Caitlin was immediately drawn to. She could easily see herself sitting there, either sipping coffee and writing in her journal or reading before bed. 

Sighing, she rolled her eyes at the fact that there was something she liked when she swore she would hate everything about this house. 

Next came the closet. She looked inside of it and realized that she could easily fit three of her closets from back home in it. Damn Nicole and her ability to find a house that would be better than their flat. Still, it didn’t mean she was happy about being here. After peeking her head into the bathroom quickly, Caitlin made her way back downstairs to where Nicole was starting to look through the boxes they could fly over with them. They couldn’t bring much, both women knowing they’d have to buy almost everything they needed once they were state side. 

“How’d you like your room, Cait?” Nicole asked as she shifted around through their few boxes.

Caitlin shrugged. “It’s alright. Larger than my other room.”

“And how do you like the window?” Nicole persisted and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

“It’s alright, Nicole,” Caitlin said. She was too determined to not show she liked anything about this house, not when she was still mad about being uprooted from her home and life. 

Just then there was a soft knock on the door and both women looked up. Caitlin realized Nicole had her hands full so jerked her head towards the door.

“I’ll get that,” she murmured to her godmother who nodded her head gratefully. Caitlin made her way to the door and opened it to notice two guys, probably close to her age, standing there with a dish of some sort in one of their hands. She stared at them.

“Uh, hello,” one said. She nodded her head at him.

“I’m Barry Allen, I live next door. This is Cisco Ramon, my friend,” Barry said. 

“Hello, I’m Caitlin Snow,” Caitlin replied, wondering what on earth they were doing here. 

“My mom sent me over with a casserole,” Barry explained and it suddenly made a bit more sense.

“That was nice of her, tell her we said thanks,” Caitlin replied softly as she stepped out onto the front porch and shut the door softly. Just because she didn’t want to be here didn’t mean she should forget her manners. She took the casserole out of Barry’s hands and shifted it around to where it was resting against her hip. She then looked at the two guys. 

“You live next to us?” Caitlin questioned and Barry nodded his head.

“Yes, I’ve lived here my whole life,” he replied and Caitlin looked towards Cisco.

“Cisco, right? Do you live in the neighborhood as well?” Caitlin asked and the dark-haired guy nodded his head.

“Yes, but three streets over. I’m just visiting Barry,” he replied. 

“Which, he basically does every day so he may as well live on this street,” Barry cut in and Caitlin laughed softly.

“Where are you from?” Cisco inquired and Caitlin sighed as a lump lodged itself in her throat. 

“London,” she said tightly and would’ve laughed at the way their eyes bugged out if it wasn’t for the fact that she missed her home so damn much.

“How’d you end up in Central City if you’re from there?” Barry asked.

“Nicole, my godmother, got a better job opportunity,” Caitlin replied sadly and they had the decency to not push the topic.

“Well, are you going to Central high?” Cisco asked and Caitlin nodded her head.

“I start on Monday,” she stated and the two guys smiled.

“We’ll see you there,” Barry said and she smiled as much as she could.

“It’d be nice to know a couple of people before I start,” she agreed and they laughed.

“Yeah, it’s never fun to be the new one or the odd one out,” Cisco said and Caitlin hummed in agreement. They continued talking for a bit longer before Caitlin jerked her head towards the front door.

“I better get back in there and help Nicole. Tell your mom we said thanks for the casserole. Beats having to order pizza our first night here,” Caitlin said lightly and Barry smiled.

“Will do. See you soon, Caitlin,” he replied. With a final wave from Cisco, both guys made their way off her porch and towards the house next door. Watching them until they walked inside and were out of sight, 

Caitlin turned on her heel and made her way inside, too. Maybe her sentence here wouldn’t be so bad if she had two new friends to help her wade her way through the treacherous waters. Smiling slightly, she headed to the kitchen where she decided she’d help her godmother instead of giving her an even harder time than she already had. Just one year to get through and then she’d be back to where she belonged. She could survive this.

Author’s note: I forgot to say the first chapter was just a prologue into this story. Hope you all enjoy! XOXO


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the weekend passed by in a flurry of motion for Caitlin, leaving behind a whirlwind of tiredness and chaos. Nicole and Caitlin had spent all day Saturday shopping for things for their house and then that evening and well into the early hours of Sunday morning setting up their bedrooms. They decided to tackle the downstairs part of the house when they woke up on Sunday morning. After another long day, the two women were reasonably pleased with their accomplishments and went to bed with aching limbs. 

Monday morning rolled around and Caitlin was awake well before her alarm went off. Figuring she may as well get up and turn the coffee on, she cut her alarm off and padded her way down the stairs and into the kitchen where she saw Nicole sitting at the table, sipping out of a mug. 

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Nicole asked softly as Caitlin poured herself of coffee. Caitlin shrugged as she sat down at the table.   
“Just nervous,” she muttered and Nicole rubbed her shoulder.

“I’d be surprised if you weren’t. New school and all,” Nicole replied sympathetically. 

Caitlin hummed but didn’t say anything, too caught up in the idea of having to make new friends her final year of school before college. True, she didn’t have that many friends in London and the number only decreased with Ronnie’s passing but still, she had some and she already missed them. Sighing, she continued to drink her coffee in silence. Nicole knew her well enough to not try and engage her in pointless conversation and just left her to her thinking.

All too soon, the clock sped up and Caitlin found herself getting ready for what would surely be a day in hell. After getting dressed, Caitlin wrapped her sweater around her and made her way back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“You sure you want to wear a sweater, Cait? It’s pretty hot out there and it’s only seventy forty-five,” Nicole checked and Caitlin nodded with pursed lips.

“It makes me feel comforted. It’s the sweater Ronnie bought for me,” she muttered and Nicole raised no more objections. She walked over to Caitlin and hugged her tightly.

“Try and have a good day. I want to hear all about it when I get home tonight, alright?” Nicole asked and Caitlin agreed to try. The two women left the house together, parting ways as Caitlin began the walk to her new school. One of the very, very few good things that could be said about Caitlin’s new home was it was only a fifteen-minute walk from the school. She opted out of riding the bus and just enjoy the leisurely pace she set.

Just then, she heard a door open and laughter echoing around outside. Looking around, Caitlin saw Barry hugging a woman, most likely his mother, before shutting the door and making his way down his drive way. She briefly wondered if she should try and hide but then realized she didn’t really care if he spotted her. 

“Oh, hey Caitlin,” Barry greeted with her a smile when he finally did spot her. She returned it as much as she could. 

“Hello, Barry,” she murmured as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Nervous about today?” Barry asked softly and she wondered if her nerves were etched into her features. She shrugged and smiled tightly.

“I’m dealing with it,” she replied and he dropped it.

“Well, seeing as we’re both walking in the same direction, want to walk there together?” Barry asked and she agreed. He matched her leisurely pace, tripping over his feet on occasion and she couldn’t help but smile softly at how uncoordinated he seemed. She didn’t voice her amusement, however, not wanting to give him any more reasons to turn bright red. 

“So, London, huh?” Barry asked conversationally and Caitlin sighed, then nodded her head.

“Ever since I was five,” she murmured, missing her home so much it was like an actual ache in her stomach.

“And you moved because your godmother got a job opportunity?” Barry continued and, again, she nodded her head.

“It was better pay,” she muttered. “At least, that’s what she said. Still doesn’t mean I was happy to be back here.”

Barry looked at her in surprise. “You’ve lived in Central City before?” 

“Yes, when I was a little girl, with my parents,” Caitlin replied.

Barry ran his hand over the back of his neck. “So, your parents…”

“Died. Car crash,” she stated and he winced.

“God, I’m sorry, Caitlin,” he murmured.

“Don’t be. Like I said, I was a little girl. I’ve known no other parent figure other than Nicole,” she replied honestly and that seemed to ease some of the worry and regret out of his features.

The conversation hit a lull then and she wasn’t sure if she wanted it to continue or not. However, she spoke up.

“Was that your mother you were hugging goodbye?” Caitlin asked curiously and Barry nodded his head.

“Yeah. No matter how old I get, she always must see me off every day,” he replied sheepishly and Caitlin laughed gently.

“Don’t be embarrassed, it’s a sign that she cares,” she reminded him. That seemed to resonate something inside of him because he smiled a bit proudly.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” he agreed and she smiled.

They had reached the outskirts of the school and Caitlin stared up at it apprehensively. She literally knew no one; didn’t know anyone who would be in her classes with her. She sighed.

“Hey, don’t be nervous,” Barry murmured gently and she cut her eyes to him.

“It’s just…I haven’t changed schools once. Not since I moved to London. I’ve forgotten what it’s like,” she muttered and he squeezed her hand quickly.

“Well, I can promise that I’ll find you at lunch so you at least know someone then. If that’s alright, I mean,” he quickly added and Caitlin watched as a light rose color painted itself across his cheeks. She chuckled.

“It’s fine, Barry. Will Cisco be joining us?” Caitlin asked curiously and he was quick to assure her that he would be.

“See, you’ll know two people. Better start than most new students,” he replied enthusiastically. 

“That’s true,” she hummed in agreement. Just then, the bell rang and Barry jerked his head towards the entrance of the school.

“C’mon, I’ll walk with you to the office and get you registered with the secretary,” he said and that’s exactly what they did, with the knot lessening slightly in Caitlin’s stomach. Maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	4. Chapter 4

After getting registered with the secretary, Ms. Wright, Caitlin and Barry made their way out of the office with Caitlin’s schedule clutched tightly in her hand. Barry helped her find her locker and, after dialing in the combination, Caitlin popped it open and set all the stuff she had brought with her inside of it.

“What’s your first class?” Barry asked curiously and she looked down at her schedule.

“Physics, with Dr. Wells,” she read off and noticed a smile creep across Barry’s face.

“What?” Caitlin asked, intrigued as to what made him smile like that.

“That’s mine and Cisco’s first class as well,” he replied and Caitlin beamed.

“Fantastic!” Caitlin enthused, feeling excited that she’d know two people in her first class. Barry gestured for her schedule and studied it after she handed it to him.

“We also have third period History together and you have fourth period English Lit with Cisco and Hartley, who’s another good friend. Something tells me you’re going to be just fine, Caitlin,” Barry smiled gently at her. 

“It’s Cait,” she murmured after a moment’s worth of deliberation and he looked at her.

“Friends call me Cait,” she clarified and he smiled.

“Cait,” he remarked and they both shared a laugh before she shut her locker softly after getting out a pen, binder, and notebook. 

“Wells’ class is this way,” Barry jerked his head down to the end of the hallway and she followed him as he made his way through the hallway. They reached the end of the hallway and went into the classroom that was next to the window that over looked the court yard. Caitlin looked around and spotted the teacher at the front of class, talking to some other students. Caitlin stood on the spot, unsure of what to do before Barry touched her shoulder lightly.

“C’mon Cait, Dr. Wells is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. He won’t make you feel embarrassed or anything,” he said comfortingly and that eased some of the tension in Caitlin’s shoulders. She followed Barry wordlessly to the front of the class and stood to the side of him while the teacher sent the other group of students on their way. He then turned his head towards Barry and Caitlin and smiled at them.

“Ah, Mr. Allen. Who’s this?” Dr. Wells inclined his head politely towards Caitlin and she smiled bravely.

“Hello, I’m Caitlin Snow. I’m new and you’re my first class of the day,” she murmured and Wells smiled encouragingly at her.

“Yes, Ms. Wright informed that we had a transfer. London, if I’m not mistaken, correct?” Dr. Wells asked curiously and Caitlin smiled as much as she could.

“That’d be correct,” she replied softly and perhaps Dr. Wells could tell it was still a sore subject with her because he didn’t per sue it.

“Well, we’re glad to have you, Ms. Snow. It won’t surprise you to know that I’ve already looked of your transcripts and was pleasantly surprised with the grades you made at your last school, especially in the science department,” he praised her and she smiled. 

“It’s my favorite subject,” she admitted and Dr. Wells chuckled.

“Every teacher’s favorite thing to hear,” he replied and she laughed, too. Barry cut in after a moment.

“Where would you like Cait to sit, Dr. Wells?” Barry asked and this was a moment Caitlin was truly dreading. She didn’t want to be seated by people who didn’t have a passion for the subject and their grades. She bit her lip as she waited anxiously for Dr. Wells to give his answer. He deliberated for a moment before jerking his head towards a table smack in the front.

“Why doesn’t Caitlin sit with you and Mr. Ramon?” Wells asked and Caitlin felt relief swirl in her belly. Barry and Cisco. She could sit by them.

“If that’s alright with you, of course, Ms. Snow?” Wells checked with her and she nodded her head quickly.

“That’s perfectly fine with me, Dr. Wells. Thank you,” she replied and that was settled. After a few more words, Barry led her to the front desk and Caitlin sat down in the middle chair after Barry informed her that he and Cisco sat at the two ends of the table. Cisco walked in just then and smiled as soon as he saw Barry and Caitlin.

“Caitlin!” Cisco greeted her and she smiled warmly.

“Call me Cait, Cisco,” she replied and he nodded his head excitedly.

“Cait,” he corrected himself and she laughed. 

“I’m glad you’re in this class with us,” he carried on and she grinned.

“Me, too. We also have fourth period English Lit,” she added and Cisco’s smile grew even more pronounced. 

“Excellent. I love that class!” Cisco enthused and Caitlin couldn’t help but to match his excitement. Her first day was already leaps and bounds better than she thought it’d be. Just then Dr. Wells cleared his throat.

“Good morning, class,” he greeted and all their heads turned to him. He began walking around and placing papers down on their desks.

“Just a pop quiz to start the morning with; see if you guys did the reading I assigned,” he stated. When he got to Caitlin, he smiled kindly at her.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Snow, I won’t be grading this pop quiz for you. Just do the best you can and it’ll tell me how much knowledge you have for what we’ve been studying so far,” he said and she nodded her head.   
When he reached the front of the class again, he looked back at all them.

“You have twenty-five minutes starting now. Good luck,” he said and they all flipped over their quizzes. Caitlin read the first question with bated breath and then breathed out a sigh of relief. She knew this information, having studied it in London before they left. She steadily answered the questions, including the five points extra credit question and then glanced at her watch. She finished ten minutes early so sat there and waited. When the rest of the class finished, Dr. Wells walked by and picked up every quiz, before getting into the lesson they’d be learning that day. Caitlin took in depth notes as she listened to what he taught them and she smiled. She was exactly where she needed to be as far as knowing the information. After the bell rang, dismissing them, Caitlin packed up her stuff and walked towards the door with Barry and Cisco.

“A word, Ms. Snow?” Wells called and she doubled back to him.

“During the ten minutes, you guys had at the end of class to pack up, I went over your quiz. I know I said I wouldn’t count it as a grade but I want you to know I’ve changed my mind considering you made a 105,” he beamed at her and Caitlin smiled brightly.

“Thanks, Dr. Wells.” She replied and he dipped his head in her direction.

“I have a feeling you’re going to do just fine in my class, Ms. Snow. Good luck with your other classes and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he stated and she waved goodbye before making her way back towards Barry and Cisco who were waiting for her.

“Where you headed to now?” Cisco asked curiously and she pulled out her schedule and looked at it.

“Gym,” she groaned. She wasn’t exactly the most athletic person, therefore making that class her least favorite. Cisco and Barry laughed at the expression on her face.

“It won’t be so bad. Coach West is pretty easy going,” Barry replied and Cisco nodded his head.

“He is,” he confirmed. They walked with her to gym, making sure she didn’t get lost. 

“Thanks, guys,” she murmured as she tucked some hair behind her ear.

“Well, I’ll see you next period, then English Lit with Cisco,” Barry reminded her and she smiled.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” she agreed and they left her to it. It wasn’t too long before she was introducing herself to the coach and getting ready for another hurdle she had to overcome. But, considering how her morning was going so far, she wasn’t too scared. And that left her unbelievably proud and pleased, which was enough for her.


	5. Chapter 5

Caitlin had survived her gym class, with Coach West going easy on her. He didn’t make her run the full two miles the rest of the class was required to run, at least. By the time she was heading back in, she changed out of the school uniform he had given her and showered quickly, throwing her damp hair up into a pony tail for the remainder to the day. She spotted Barry leaning against the wall as she exited the gym.

“Barry? What are you doing here?” Caitlin asked quizzically as she made her way towards him. He pushed himself off the wall and smiled at her.

“Hey, just thought I’d make myself useful and make sure you found our History class easy enough,” he replied and she smiled at his thoughtfulness.

“Thanks, that’s really kind of you; I’m sure I would’ve gotten lost,” she admitted with a soft chuckle, blush tinting her cheeks pink. He smiled kindly at her as he led the way through the crowded hallways.

“Can’t have that, can we?” Barry teased and she laughed.

“Nope,” she replied as she followed his lead. She made sure to stay tucked up by him so she didn’t get swept away in the current of students. To his credit, he seemed to be walking slower and clearing some paths for them, to which she was incredibly grateful for. Once they reached their destination, Caitlin exhaled a breath of relief. Third class of the morning. Just lunch, English Lit, and two more classes after that and she’d be done with her first day. 

Barry headed inside and she followed his lead. Once again, he led her to the teacher at the front and she stood beside him, waiting to be introduced. The teacher finally looked at them. 

“Ms. Peterson? This is Caitlin Snow, the new transfer,” Barry said and Caitlin held out her hand for Ms. Peterson to shake. The teacher smiled kindly at her.

“Welcome, Caitlin,” she replied and Caitlin parroted her smile. After saying she could take the seat towards the window, (coincidentally, Barry was, once again, right next to her), the two friends made their way to their desks. Again, Caitlin was a diligent note taker, taking care to make sure she got everything that she needed to write down. Finally, it was time for lunch and Caitlin felt grateful for the respite. Barry and Caitlin made their way outside, towards the courtyard, once they got their lunches. Cisco joined them not too long after they sat down.

“Thank God, I’m starving,” Cisco muttered as he delved into his burger and Caitlin watched him in amusement.

“You might want to try and actually taste the food, Cisco,” she stated and another guy who had just sat down, laughed.

“I like you already. I’m Hartley. Your name?” Hartley asked and Caitlin looked at him.

“Caitlin, but you can call me Cait,” she said and Hartley flashed her a smile.

“Welcome to the group, Cait,” he replied.

“Group?” Caitlin asked in confusion as she looked towards Barry and Cisco for an answer.

“We’re basically the group of odd ones out in our school,” Barry replied, with Cisco nodding his head in agreement.

“And, because you’re already sitting with us, that means you must been an oddball, too,” Hartley added. Caitlin laughed.

“Something like that,” she agreed. She took a bite of her pizza before glancing around. 

“Is there anyone who doesn’t like the oddballs?” Caitlin questioned curiously and all three guys laughed.

“Jay and his idiotic followers,” Cisco answered at once before jerking his head towards the left of him and Caitlin followed his gesture and her eyes landed on a guy in a letterman jacket.

“He’s an athlete?” Caitlin asked and Hartley rolled his eyes.

“Yes, but how he manages to stay on the teams with his dismal grades is beyond my comprehension capabilities,” Hartley deadpanned, making her chuckle.

“So, I take you aren’t fans of him either, then,” she replied and all three shook their heads.

“Just avoid him at all costs and you’ll be fine,” Barry said quietly and she smiled at his hint of concern.

“I will,” she promised softly. She may not know him but if her new friends said he was trouble, she decided she did not need to find out from a first-hand experience if they were right. She took a sip of her water and discreetly looked at the rest of the athletes, all of them either listening to what Jay had to say with rapt attention, or staring at another guy.

“Who’s the other one, next to Jay?” Caitlin asked and Barry glanced up and looked before laughing.

“That’s Oliver Queen, the richest guy in our school. He’s not as bad as Jay but he’s still bad. He’s sister, Thea Queen, is the only one who can make him stay in line and that’s just because he fears she’ll tell their mother about all the parties they have when she’s out of town,” Barry replied. Caitlin nodded her head in understanding.

Just then, a blonde girl walked up and set her stuff down on the table.

“I swear, if Queen asks me one more time to let him copy off my homework, I’m personally making a copy with all the wrong answers and giving it to him,” she snapped.

“Well, hello to you, too, Felicity,” Cisco replied around a mouthful of food.

“Chew, Cisco,” Felicity said as she looked around at everyone else.

“Who are you?” Felicity asked once her eyes landed on Caitlin.

“Caitlin Snow,” Caitlin replied and Felicity smiled.

“Finally, another girl at the table!” Felicity enthused and Caitlin laughed.

“Looks that way,” she agreed lightly.

“Where are you from?” Felicity asked curiously.

“London. Today’s my first day,” Caitlin had grown accustomed to people asking her where she was from, so wasn’t as bothered by the question by the time Felicity asked. 

“Pretty big culture shock, I imagine,” Felicity stated and Caitlin shrugged.

“Not too much. School is still school. People are still people,” she replied. She caught Barry smiling at her out of the corner of her eye and returned it. They continued eating and talking for the rest of the hour   
before the bell rang, dismissing them from lunch. As Caitlin threw her trash away, she felt someone behind her.

“Sorry, I’m moving,” she said as she turned around and came face to face with Jay.

“You’re new,” he stated and she resisted the temptation to roll her eyes, given everything she had learned about him.

“Looks like it,” she muttered as she tried to walk around him; he blocked her.

“How come you’re not introducing yourself?” Jay asked and Caitlin sighed.

“The name’s Caitlin,” she replied in a bored tone.

“Cait, I like that,” Jay smiled.

“Caitlin,” Caitlin said pointedly before pushing passed him.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you around, Caitlin,” Jay called after her and she just rolled her eyes.

The rest of the day passed relatively quickly, with Hartley, Caitlin, and Cisco all getting along well in English Lit. She had her final period, Calculus, with Felicity and then the day was over. Tired, but pleased with the fact that she seemed to have made a good set of friends, she headed to her locker where Barry was waiting for her.

“Hey, Cait, fancy someone to walk home with?” Barry asked.

“Always,” she replied with a smile as she grabbed the books she’d need for homework that night before pulling her sweater on and heading out of the school with Barry by her side. They talked and laughed as they walked the fifteen minutes home, and Caitlin realized that she truly felt at peace with the move for the first time. Once they reached their street, the split up at their respective houses.

“I’ll see you later, yeah?” Barry asked and Caitlin smiled.

“Later,” she promised; a promise which she would hold herself to.


	6. Chapter 6

Once Caitlin had made it inside, she headed straight for her room and towards the desk that her and Nicole had placed in there. She pulled out her science book Dr. Wells had given her and began doing the homework he gave them, making steady progress on it. It wasn’t too long before she was finished with it, moving on to her English Lit and, eventually, her Calculus homework. By the time Nicole got home around six-thirty, Caitlin was wrapping up the last bit of her homework.

“Cait, I’m home!” Nicole called just as Caitlin snapped her Calculus book shut with a sigh. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen where Nicole was setting her stuff down onto the table.

“Hey, Nicole,” Caitlin smiled and Nicole turned and faced her.

“Hey, Cait, how was today?” Nicole asked with a bit of apprehension and Caitlin smiled.

“Good, better than I thought it’d be,” she replied honestly and Nicole beamed.

“That’s fantastic!” Nicole said and Caitlin laughed at her enthusiasm. 

“Did you make any friends?” Nicole asked hesitantly and Caitlin was quick to assure her that she did.

“A handful of them,” Caitlin promised earnestly and Nicole smiled.

“I’m glad, Caitlin,” Nicole enthused and the two women left the conversation there for a moment as Nicole stretched her arms high above her head.

“How about you? How was your first day at the new job?” Caitlin asked curiously and Nicole grinned.

“Great! Better than I could have hoped for. I’ve got about ten people answering to me and we all seemed to get along just fine,” she replied and Caitlin mirrored her smile.

“That’s wonderful, Nicole,” she said and, she meant it. Caitlin and Nicole busied themselves with making dinner, something that was a common occurrence between the two of them. No matter how busy they were, no matter what they had to do, they always made time to eat together after a long day. After their meal was ready, they sat down at the table and began to eat, talking lightly about their days.

“So, tell me a bit more about your friends you’ve made,” Nicole inquired and Caitlin nodded her head.

“Well, two of them live in our neighborhood; one is actually our next-door neighbor, Barry Allen,” Caitlin replied and Nicole smiled.

“A guy?” Nicole raised an eyebrow and Caitlin knew exactly where her line of thought was.

“Don’t go there, Nicole,” she protested and Nicole laughed.

“Is he at least good looking?” Nicole asked and Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly.

“You just can’t seem to help yourself…but, yes, he is,” she replied and Nicole grinned. Then she noticed the frown that had washed over Caitlin’s face.

“What is it, Cait?” Nicole asked and Caitlin sighed.

“I just don’t…want to forget about Ronnie, either,” she murmured and Nicole squeezed her hand.

“Just because you’re starting to find other guys good looking, does not mean you’re going to forget Ronnie,” she said gently. “In fact, I think he would’ve wanted you to be happy.”

“I just, I miss him so much,” Caitlin whispered, getting trapped in a spell of sadness. 

“I know you do, sweetheart, and that’s okay. Miss him. Just don’t forget to keep living your life,” Nicole reminded her softly and Caitlin nodded as she blinked back tears. She cleared her throat to rid it of the lump that had lodged itself there.

“Anyways, I also became friends with some of his friends. They’re all really nice,” she carried on and Nicole smiled.

“I’m glad to hear you had such a good day,” Nicole replied and Caitlin smiled.

“I did,” she agreed. Nicole then went on to tell her about her day and her new team, people she could see herself getting along with incredibly well with. When dinner was over, the two women cleaned the kitchen and headed into the living room, where Nicole did some of the work she had brought home with her while Caitlin read. It wasn’t too long before they heard a light knock on their door.

“I’ll get that,” Caitlin murmured and Nicole nodded her head absentmindedly as she continued to look over her work. Caitlin made her way to the door and opened it to see Barry standing there, with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. She parroted his smile.

“Hey, Barry,” she said softly.

“Hey, Cait,” he replied. “I was just wondering if you wanted to come out and talk for a bit? We didn’t really get a chance to talk about your day all that much on our walk home.” 

She nodded her head with a soft smile. “Sure.”

After telling Nicole she’d be back inside in a little bit, she tightened her sweater around her and made her way outside and to the steps that led down off the front porch and sat down, with Barry following suit. 

They were quiet for a few moments as they took in the sun setting and the peace and tranquility of the evening.

“So, first day under your belt. How did it go?” Barry asked quietly and Caitlin thought it over before smiling slightly.

“Better than I expected and I think that was because of you and everyone else in the group I found myself in,” she replied and he smiled gently.

“Good, I was hoping we made your first day here as smooth as possible,” he murmured and she laughed gently.

“Smoother,” she amended and they shared a collective chuckle. 

“Just so you know, Cisco and Hartley absolutely adore you,” Barry carried on and she smiled.

“They’re good guys,” she agreed.

“They think the same about you,” he promised and that left her swelling with pride. She wanted her new friends and her to get along and it seemed like they were. 

“How was gym?” Barry asked curiously and she laughed.

“Well, you were right about Coach West going easy on me my first day. He didn’t make me run the required two miles,” she said lightly.

“Why do I get the feeling that if you ran, you’d trip over your own two feet?” Barry chuckled.

“Hey, I am a great runner, thank you very much,” Caitlin replied and Barry just raised an eyebrow at her.

“Alright, I’d trip over my own two feet,” she admitted sheepishly and he laughed as he bumped his shoulder with hers’. 

“It’s okay, so would I,” he assured her and she shook her head fondly.

“Are you ready for your second day?” Barry asked curiously and she thought it over for a moment.

“I think I am,” she said firmly and he nodded his head.

“I think you are, too,” he said softly and they left the conversation there for a few minutes. They watched as the sun set completely and Caitlin smiled.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

“Yeah, it is,” Barry agreed softly and she looked up to see him looking at her with a tender expression. She was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see the blush that tinted her cheeks. She smiled softly. They continued talking for a solid half hour, going over anything about her home in London to his childhood and what it was like growing up with his parents.

“They’re great, always support whatever avenue I choose to per sue,” he said and grinned.

“That’s fantastic,” she said gently.

“What about you? What does your godmother, Nicole, want for you?” Barry asked and Caitlin thought about it.

“I think she just wants me to be happy in life, no matter what I decided to do,” she murmured.

“And, and was she close to your parents?” Barry asked hesitantly and she could sense how shy he had become while asking the question. She nodded her head.

“She was my mom’s best friend from college and onward. They had been best friends for ten years before I was born, and my parents asked her to be my godmother. They didn’t trust anyone else as much as they trusted her. When they passed, she took me in and raised me as if I was her own. She’s really the only parental figure I have ever known, and it’s always just been the two of us,” Caitlin said softly. Barry squeezed her hand.

“I’m sorry about your parents, Cait,” he murmured and she smiled.

“It’s okay. I barely remember them,” she said honestly. She didn’t want him to feel bad for her, something she couldn’t stand from other people. He seemed to realize this because he didn’t keep expressing his sympathy over it. Instead, he just smiled at her gently and dropped the topic. The two friends talked for a bit longer before they decided it was time to head back inside.

“I’ll meet you tomorrow morning for our walk?” Barry asked and Caitlin hummed her agreement.

“Tomorrow morning,” she replied. Barry hesitated before hugging her gently and Caitlin wrapped her arms around her waist. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be hugged by someone she cared about   
and it felt nice. After they pulled apart, Barry jerked his head towards his house.

“I better get back in there before my mom sends out a search party,” he laughed and Caitlin matched his laughter.

“It’s good that you’ve got her to look out for you,” she murmured and he nodded his head.

“Bye, Caitlin,” he said.

“Bye, Barry,” she replied and they split off to go into their houses. Caitlin, for once, felt optimistic about her future here.


	7. Chapter 7

Caitlin fell into a pattern over the course of the next few weeks. Wake up, have coffee with Nicole, then meet Barry for their walk to school. All her classes had been easy to get the hang of and her grades hadn’t differed from when she was going to school in London. She was pleased about that. She even found time to hang out with her friends outside of school, something that left her undeniably happy. 

“So, there’s a football game this week,” Barry brought up randomly one morning on their walk and Caitlin looked at him in surprise.

“Okay…” she trailed off, hoping he’d fill her in.

“Well, not that I want go, but be warned: Felicity will probably try to convince you to go,” Barry said sheepishly and she laughed.

“Since when does Felicity like sports?” Caitlin questioned and Barry shrugged a shoulder.

“Well, it’s not so much the sport as it is who’s playing on the team,” he muttered and Caitlin thought it over for a moment before realization dawned on her.

“Oliver Queen?” Caitlin exclaimed and Barry laughed at her reaction.

“The one and only. The two have been side stepping each other all year,” he replied.

“But…but…she complains about him more than Hartley complains about Jay,” Caitlin stated, completely stunned by this reveal.

“That’s because she’s trying to mask her feelings,” Barry said and it was Caitlin’s turn to laugh.

“Only Licity,” she commented with an eye roll, which Barry matched. They had reached the school by this point.

“Just be warned, she’s probably going to bombard you at lunch and try to convince you to go,” he stated matter of fact and she sighed.

“Great. My idea of a fun Friday night,” Caitlin said sarcastically and Barry winced in sympathy.

“Will you go, too?” Caitlin asked suddenly and Barry looked at her.

“To a football game?” Barry checked and Caitlin nodded her head as she kept her fingers crossed.

“I don’t know…” Barry sighed and Caitlin just smiled at him.

“Please? For me?” Caitlin asked and Barry laughed.

“You know you don’t play fair, right?” Barry asked and she just nodded her head, smug grin firmly intact.

“I’ll think about it,” he muttered and she bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly.

“That’s not a yes,” he reminded her.

“It’s also not a no and that’s good enough for me,” she replied and he just laughed at her antics. 

They made their way from her locker and towards Dr. Wells class, where they had to stop talking and start studying for the test that was coming up the next week. Dr. Wells was being generous enough to let them use half the class to take notes, and the other half to study, something she truly appreciated. 

By the time lunch rolled around, Caitlin was already tired from gym and famished. She sat down with a sigh and began to eat her turkey sandwich.

“Gym that bad?” Hartley asked sympathetically.

“I was actually told I had to run by Coach West,” she mumbled and Hartley laughed.

“Yeah, I can’t envision you ever running, Cait,” he replied.

“Only if something is chasing me,” she countered.

“Not even then,” Hartley deadpanned and the two friends laughed. Just then, Felicity bounced down in the seat next to Caitlin and, given Barry’s warning earlier, she looked at her quirky friend expectantly.

“Hey, Licity,” she greeted her cautiously.

“Hello, Cait,” Felicity replied, mischievous smile firmly painted in placed.

Deciding not to beat around the bush, Caitlin sighed. “Look, Barry already told me that you were going to ask me to go to the football game.”

Felicity shot Barry a glare. “He did, did he?”

“Yep. And I’ve decided I’ll go with you,” Caitlin agreed and everyone looked at her in surprise.

“Really?” Felicity asked.

“Yes. However, you must buy me coffee for a week,” Caitlin grinned and Felicity rolled her eyes.

“Fine, deal,” she muttered and Caitlin laughed.

Just then, Oliver Queen made his way over.

“Hey, Smoak,” he greeted her and Felicity looked at him.

“Queen,” she replied in a bored tone and Caitlin looked at her in amusement.

“You coming to the game Friday?” Oliver asked and Felicity shrugged a shoulder.

“Maybe, what’s it to you?” Felicity replied and Oliver laughed.

“Just wondering if you could help me with the test for Wells,” he said and Felicity rolled her eyes.

“Maybe…if you tell Jay to back off with the creepy staring at Caitlin he’s doing,” she muttered and every head snapped up to look at Jay and realized he was doing just that. Caitlin shifted some hair in front of her   
face to shield herself from his prying eyes.

“What the hell does he want?” Barry grumbled and Oliver cut his eyes to him.

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew, Allen,” he warned him before looking back at Felicity.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Smoak. I’ll see you Friday night,” he added before walking away. Caitlin looked at Felicity.

“If we’re staying to help Oliver to study, I’m throwing in an additional week of free coffee,” she warned her. Felicity just smiled. 

The rest of the week sped by and before she knew it, Caitlin was climbing into Felicity’s car for the game. She accepted the cup of coffee Felicity handed her with a quizzical look.

“Figured I’d better actually get started on my two-week sentence of free coffee,” Felicity said and Caitlin laughed at her friend.

“Thanks, Licity,” she murmured as she took a sip of the hot beverage and reveled in the taste of it. She had decided she didn’t necessarily need Barry to come to the game with them, so it was just the two of them.

The friends made it to the stadium in good time and made their way to the bleachers where, it seemed, the whole school sat jammed packed inside of it. The game started and Caitlin lost interest after the first whistle was blown. She couldn’t, however, say the same for Felicity.

“Ref! That was a horrible call! Who taught you how to be a ref, your mom?” Felicity shouted and Caitlin laughed at her friend.

“Licity, try to not make a scene,” she whispered and Felicity looked at her.

“Sorry but that was just a bad call,” she grumbled. Caitlin patted her shoulder sympathetically. The game continued, with Felicity shouting at the ref as it did and Caitlin trying to blend in with the seat whenever   
heads swiveled in their direction. At long last, the game ended with Oliver’s team scoring the final touch down and winning. The crowd was beside themselves with happiness and cheer and Caitlin was wishing she had brought a book or something so she could be doing something she enjoyed. 

Just then, Oliver came bounding up the stairs to them.

“Smoak, hey!” Oliver called and Felicity looked at him.

“Queen,” she replied. 

“I thought that was you I heard in the stands,” he chuckled and Felicity blushed faintly but either Oliver didn’t notice or didn’t care, because he didn’t call her out on it. 

“Are you still willing to help me study for the test?” Oliver asked and Felicity looked him over.

“Did you talk to Jay?” Felicity challenged and Oliver nodded his head.

“I squared him away,” he promised and Felicity nodded her head.

“Then yes, I’ll meet you at Jitters on Sunday, at ten. Bring your notes,” she replied and Oliver give her a smile before walking off. Caitlin watched as Felicity smiled softly as she watched him walk towards the field   
and back to his team.

“You’ve got it bad, Licity,” Caitlin teased.

“Oh hush,” Felicity muttered, causing Caitlin to laugh before falling silent. 

The two girls made it back to her car and drove back to Caitlin’s, with Felicity thanking her profusely for going. Caitlin waved her off.

“You’d do it for me. And, I still get free coffee so it was a pretty good trade,” she smirked and Felicity rolled her eyes as Caitlin got out of the car.

“I’ll see you Monday, Cait.”

“Monday.”

 

Author’s note: Not a lot of Barry in this chapter because I needed to get the story rolling in the direction I need it to. I hope you like it! XOXO


	8. Chapter 8

Monday morning found Caitlin and Barry walking to school, laughing as they went.

“I can’t believe Felicity actually shouted out to the ref, asking if he had been taught by him mom,” Caitlin exclaimed.

“I can,” Barry said gleefully, eyes dancing with mirth and Caitlin looked at him curiously, silently asking him to continue.

“Felicity has always been competitive, especially when it comes to sports and technology. Why do you think she has the highest grade out of all of the seniors in the IT class?” Barry asked and Caitlin shook her head fondly.

“Only Licity,” she chuckled as they made their way towards her locker, Barry having already stopped by his.

Caitlin dialed in the combination and placed her backpack in after grabbing her science book and notepad, along with a pen and her binder. She shut her locker and nearly screamed when she noticed Jay standing right next to her.

“God, Garrick, what?” Caitlin snapped as she tried to control her heart rate. She noticed Barry frown as he folded his arms across his chest, pulling himself slightly taller. 

“Heard you were at the game on Friday, Cait,” Jay smirked.

“It’s Caitlin,” Barry and Caitlin both snapped simultaneously. 

“And what’s it to you if I was?” Caitlin challenged as she squared her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at him.

“You could’ve come to the after party. Come and said hello,” Jay replied and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

“I have better things to do on my Friday night then be at some party where the main choice of beverage is stale beer,” she said in a bored tone. She saw a dangerous look flash in Jay’s eyes but next second she was  
sure she had imagined it because he was smiling sweetly at her.

“Some other time then, Caitlin,” he murmured. He looked her up and down before nodding his head at her and slamming his shoulder into Barry.

“See you around, Allen,” Jay called over his shoulder as he walked off laughing. Caitlin rolled her eyes at Barry who just stood there, glaring at Jay’s retreating back.

“I hate him,” he muttered and Caitlin laughed softly.

“He’s not the nicest of guys, no,” she agreed lightly as she touched his shoulder. He looked at her and she jerked her head towards the end of the hallway.

“We better go before we’re late,” she murmured and he nodded his head.

“Let’s go,” he agreed and the pair made their way down the hallway and into Dr. Wells’ classroom. The class was spent taking a pop quiz where, again, Caitlin sailed through it without any problems. Once she was finished, she handed it in and began to make progress on her homework for that evening, hoping to eliminate some of the time she spent on it. When the bell rang, dismissing them, Caitlin parted ways with Barry and Cisco and made her way towards her gym class.

“Ah, Snow,” Coach West greeted her with a smile.

“Hey, Coach West. Good game Friday night,” she complimented him and he dipped his head in her direction.

“Thanks. The team is shaping up nicely. Especially Queen. I know he’s got some scouts who are going to come look at him a bit later this year,” Coach West said conversationally and Caitlin smiled.

“That’s great,” she agreed. She left then, to go get changed and spotted Jay on his way out to the field.

“Hey, we meet again, Cait,” he smirked as he stopped in front of her, blocking her path to the changing rooms. 

“Let me by,” she demanded and Jay just laughed.

“I will if you agree to go on a date with me,” he remarked. Caitlin shook her head.

“Hate to burst your bubble, but I’m not interested. Get that through your thick skull,” she replied firmly and Jay narrowed his eyes at her.

“You’d be wise to be aware of who you’re talking to, Caitlin,” he said softly but Caitlin merely smirked.

“I’m not afraid of you, Garrick,” she said calmly. He opened his mouth to throw out a retort but Coach West intervened.

“Garrick. Field. Now.” Coach West demanded and Jay looked at her one more time before nodding his head curtly and running off. Coach West made his way over to her.

“You okay, Snow?” Coach West asked and she laughed.

“Fine, thanks,” she murmured before jerking her head towards the locker room. 

“I’ll be out on the track soon,” she added and he nodded his head.

Caitlin quickly got changed before jogging towards the track where she begrudgingly began to run the two miles, working hard on not letting her heart collapse due to all the strain she was putting on it. Gym eventually ended and she headed back in with the rest of the class, showered and changed quickly, and headed to the last class of her morning. She worked hard in her History class, being the diligent note taker that she was and smiled in relief when the bell rang, dismissing them for lunch. Her and Barry headed to the courtyard where everyone else was already seated.

“Run again today, Cait?” Hartley teased and she just rolled her eyes.

“Even worse than running? Jay Garrick asking me on a date,” she replied and all of them looked at her.

“Tell me you said no,” Barry implored and she laughed.

“Of course, I did. I’d rather date literally anybody else on the football team over him and that’s saying a lot,” she replied. Cisco looked at her and then at Felicity.

“I thought Oliver told you he sorted that out?” Cisco demanded.

“He did,” she replied with a frown. Just then, the guy in question made his way up to them.

“Hey, Smoak,” he greeted her.

“Queen, what’s with Garrick asking Caitlin for a date?” Barry interrupted before Felicity could give a response back. Oliver turned his eyes on him, then flashed them to Caitlin.

“He asked you on a date?” Oliver repeated and Caitlin shook her head.

“More like, cornered me and demanded that I agree to go out with him. There really wasn’t much of a question involved with the way he approached me,” she clarified and Oliver frowned.

“You didn’t say that, Cait,” Barry looked at her and she shrugged.

“Didn’t seem important,” she replied and he just frowned as heavily, if not more than Oliver.

Oliver looked between her and Barry and sighed.

“I’ll tell him you’re definitely not interested and Coach West doesn’t take lightly to players harassing other students,” he promised and Caitlin smiled gratefully.

“Thanks, Oliver,” she murmured. Oliver then looked at Felicity.

“There’s a party on Friday night, after the game,” he began and Felicity raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“Go on,” she said.

“I was wondering if you would like to go?” Oliver asked and Felicity stared at him a long moment.

“Can Cait come?” Felicity asked and Caitlin cut her eyes to her.

“Licity…” she began but Oliver was quickly nodding his head.

“Yeah, she’s welcome. All of you are,” he hastened to add and Cisco and Hartley exchanged looks.

“A party? With the entire football team. Are you joking?” Cisco asked dryly and Oliver looked at him amusedly.

“It’ll be fine,” he assured them and Cisco looked at Barry who was looking at Caitlin.

“What do you think, Cait?” Barry murmured. She looked at Barry, then at Felicity. She could tell by the way Felicity was looking at her that she wanted her to go. Sighing, she nodded her head slowly.

“I’ll be there,” she muttered, wondering what the hell she was getting herself into.


	9. Chapter 9

TRIGGER WARNING: ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT 

Friday came around way too soon for Caitlin and before she knew it, she was getting ready for the party. She had told Nicole where she was going, who had given her permission to stay out a bit past curfew that night since it was a Friday night. Just then, there was a knock at her door and Caitlin peered around to spot Nicole peeking her head through the crack in the door.

“Come in,” Caitlin said softly to her and Nicole pushed the door open all the way.

“Hey, Cait,” Nicole greeted and Caitlin smiled at her. Nicole watched as Caitlin threw her hair up into a ponytail, looking like she wanted to say something. Caitlin just waited patiently until she chose the words she wanted to use.

“Call me if things get a bit rowdy tonight, alright?” Nicole asked and Caitlin nodded her head.

“I will,” she promised softly. When she was back in London, her and Ronnie never did the party scene before. It was usually just them and either a movie on the couch or at the actual movies on Friday night, something she preferred.

“Is Barry going tonight?” Nicole asked curiously and Caitlin shook her head.

“No, he decided yesterday he didn’t want to go but he told me to call him if I needed anything. I may take him up on his offer,” she admitted with a shrug and Nicole smiled slightly.

“I’m glad you’ve got a friend like him,” Nicole murmured and Caitlin smiled.

“Me too,” she agreed. Just then, there was a honk and Caitlin went over to her window and peered down to spot Felicity waving up at her from her car.

“That’s Licity, I got to go. I’ll see you tonight, alright?” Caitlin asked and Nicole nodded.

“Remember, eleven-thirty is your curfew for tonight,” Nicole reminded her and Caitlin nodded her head.

“I know, see you then,” she replied and Nicole hugged her briefly before sending her on her way. Considering fall had officially arrived and the evenings had gotten cooler, it was an acceptable time to wear her sweater so Caitlin grabbed it from the back of her chair as she made her way out of her room and then eventually down the stairs, with Nicole following her all the while. 

Once Caitlin had made it downstairs and out the door, she headed over to Felicity’s car and got into the passenger’s seat. 

“Hey, Cait,” Felicity greeted her.

“Hey, Licity,” Caitlin said back and buckled in before Felicity pulled away from the curb and headed down the road. Just then, Caitlin’s phone pinged, and she opened the text she had just received and read it.

“Barry says to call him if we need anything tonight and he’ll be there as quick as he can,” she read aloud and Felicity nodded her head.

“I don’t doubt it,” she hummed and Caitlin laughed as she shook her head.

“Me neither,” she agreed. Both women fell into light conversation as Felicity drove to Oliver’s house. Once they got there, Caitlin gaped at the size of his house.

“God, this place is huge,” Caitlin stated, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer size of the mansion.

“No kidding,” Felicity murmured as she too stared up at the house. 

“We better get in there, Licity,” Caitlin said and the quirky blonde nodded her head before turning off the car and getting out, with Caitlin following suit. They made their way up to the house and Felicity rang the bell. It wasn’t too long before a beaming Oliver opened the door.

“Smoak, Caitlin,” he greeted them.

“Queen,” Felicity said with a smile of her own.

“Hey, Oliver,” Caitlin said softly and he opened the door wider, letting them in. They made their way in and Caitlin took everything in about the house. There were wide, spacious rooms taking up every inch of the place, with high ceilings.

“Big place you have here,” Felicity commented.

“Yeah, I think you can fit three of my houses in your front foyer alone,” Caitlin joked and Oliver laughed. 

“C’mon, let me get you ladies a drink,” Oliver jerked his head towards the kitchen and they followed him. Once in there, Caitlin took in the wide selection of alcohol and sodas covering the surface and felt a bit   
nervous.

“What would you like, Caitlin?” Oliver asked and she nodded her head towards a diet coke. 

“Just a diet coke, please,” she murmured and he nodded as he grabbed her one and handed it to her.

“And you, Smoak?” Oliver asked with a smile and Felicity also jerked her head towards the sodas.

“Sprite, please,” she requested and Oliver handed her the chosen drink. They stayed and chatted for a bit before Oliver pulled Felicity off towards another part of the house and Caitlin leaned against the kitchen counter. She figured something like that would happen so wasn’t mad. She knew Felicity would get her home in time, so just decided to wait out the party in the kitchen, sipping her soda. An hour later, however, and she found herself incredibly bored. She decided to text Barry the remainder of the night. 

She had just started on her second soda when more and more people started arriving and filtered in and out of the kitchen. She continued to lean against the kitchen counter, ignoring them as she played around on her phone. It wasn’t until someone called her name directly did she look up.

“Hey, Caitlin,” Jay said and she rolled her eyes.

“Garrick,” she muttered before going back to her phone. He touched her lightly on the arm and she jerked it away from him.

“What?” Caitlin hissed and he held his hands up in surrender.

“Easy, Caitlin. Just wondering if I can get you another drink?” Jay asked and she shook her head.

“I’m fine, thanks,” she snapped and he sighed.

“Look, if I promise not to be a jerk for the night, can you promise to drop the attitude?” Jay asked softly and she sighed as she looked around before looking back at him.

“You promise?” Caitlin demanded and he nodded his head.

“Yes,” he said firmly and she took a sip of her diet coke as she deliberated.

“Fine,” she agreed with a huff and he smiled softly at her.

“Thank you, Caitlin,” he said and she rolled her eyes.

“Whatever,” she muttered before taking another sip. 

“Do…do you maybe want to go somewhere and talk?” Jay asked hesitantly but she shook her head. 

“We can talk in here,” she replied and he nodded his head.

“Alright,” he agreed lightly and she sighed.

“What do you want to talk about?” Caitlin muttered.

“How’d you do on Wells test?” Jay asked randomly and Caitlin wondered where that question came from.

“103,” she replied and he whistled lowly.

“You’re pretty smart, huh? That doesn’t surprise me. Want…. want to help me study sometime?” Jay asked hesitantly but she shook her head, wondering why she felt dizzy suddenly.

“No,” she mumbled and grabbed onto the counter for support.

“Are you alright, Cait?” Jay asked softly.

“I feel sick,” she muttered as her vision began to get blurry. What was happening to her?

“C’mon, bathroom is this way. I’ll hold your hair back if you throw up,” he murmured and she frowned.

“I didn’t drink anything,” she mumbled, her words joining together. Jay placed his hand on her elbow and steered her out of the room.

“C’mon, Cait,” he murmured and her head felt too heavy to disagree with him. He led them to a room that was a bit away from the kitchen and sat her down on the bed.

“This isn’t the bathroom,” she mumbled and he chuckled.

“There’s one in the corner,” he jerked his head towards a door to the left of them and she turned her blurry eyes on it.

“Did you slip me something?” Caitlin asked.

“Shh, just relax, Cait,” Jay encouraged.

“That’snotmyname,” she said but it came out as a jumbled mess. Jay pushed her down on the bed gently and she absolutely had no energy to stop him.

“It’s okay,” he murmured and she stared around the room as he began kissing her neck softly.

“J-Jay, stop,” she mumbled but all he did was push her hair back so he had better access to her neck.

“P-please,” she muttered.

“Shh, just enjoy it, Cait,” he said softly. Caitlin had lost all control of her limbs and just laid there. She couldn’t fight him off; her limbs felt too weak. Just as Jay was caressing her leg, there was a loud knock on the door and he jerked his head towards.

“What?” Jay snapped and the door opened and Caitlin spotted Barry, Felicity, and Oliver. Felicity came running over.

“Get the hell off her!” Felicity demanded as she pushed him.

Caitlin stared around tiredly, trying to watch the scene unfold but she was too dizzy to take anything in. Barry pulled her up.

“Cait, Caitlin?” Barry asked and she turned her eyes on him, trying to focus.

“What the hell did you give her, Garrick?” Barry snarled.

“Nothing, she just had too much to drink, apparently,” Jay snapped. 

“Caitlin doesn’t drink, you idiot,” Felicity snapped back.

“What the hell did you do, Garrick?” Oliver demanded as he shoved Jay up against the wall.

“What are you doing, Queen?” Jay snarled and Oliver just shoved him further into the wall.

“I don’t condone slipping people something and as all she’s had tonight is diet coke, I know she’s not drunk. I’m not stupid, Garrick,” Oliver growled and Barry helped ease Caitlin up.

“C’mon, Cait,” he murmured.

“What are you doing here?” Caitlin mumbled.

“You stopped replying to my texts and then Felicity called me when she couldn’t find you and began to panic,” Barry said softly. Barry wrapped an arm around her waist before shooting Jay a filthy glare.

“This isn’t over, Garrick, not by a long shot,” Barry snarled as he led Caitlin away from the house and into his car. He eased her into the backseat and she closed her eyes, slipping away from her consciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

Caitlin drifted in and out of consciousness as Barry sped through the streets of Central City in his car. Felicity was in the back with her, letting her stretch across her lap. 

“How’s she doing, Felicity?” Caitlin heard Barry’s concerned voice ask but she was too out of it to hear what Felicity said back. The next thing she was aware of was Barry slamming on his breaks, parking the car, and getting out. She heard him fling open the back door.

“C’mon, Cait, we’re here,” he murmured. Where “here” exactly was, she didn’t know. She just let him pick her up and run to their destination. 

“Help, please!” Barry shouted and she glanced around to spot some nurses running towards them. She lost consciousness completely at that point and welcomed the free fall into the dark abyss eagerly. 

The next thing Caitlin was aware of was a steady beeping. She was trapped in her senses as she heard other noises filtering in and out of her ears and what smelled like strong coffee. 

“I’m so sorry, Nicole, so sorry,” a voice muttered.

“This is not your fault, Barry,” came Nicole’s firm voice.

“I should’ve been there instead of just telling them to call me if they needed me. I could’ve prevented this,” Barry sighed.

“No, you couldn’t have,” Caitlin mumbled groggily and she felt a hand cover hers’.

“Cait, honey?” Nicole’s gentle voice called to her and Caitlin worked hard to open her eyes. She blinked them as she stared around, everything coming into focus. She was in a dark hospital room, a small lamp providing the only source of light; Barry and Nicole sitting on either side of her bed. 

She looked at the dark shadows that clung to Nicole’s eyes and frowned.

“When’s the last time you’ve slept, Nicole?” Caitlin asked her godmother but Nicole shook her head firmly.

“Don’t worry about me, kiddo. Worry about yourself. How are you feeling?” Nicole asked softly. It was then that Caitlin was alerted to the fact that Barry was tracing soothing patterns onto the back of her hand. She looked down at his hand, then up to him before smiling slightly as she thought over her answer. She exhaled a shaky breath.

“I feel….out of it,” she summarized and they both nodded their heads.

“Doctor said that would be considered perfectly normal, Cait,” Barry said softly and she closed her eyes as she sighed.

“I’m sorry, Nicole,” she murmured.

“Don’t you dare apologize for what that pathetic excuse of a human did,” Nicole demanded and Caitlin had never heard her sound this angry before; so angry, she was eerily calm. She opened her eyes and looked at her godmother who was staring at her with a hard look. She opened her mouth to protest, thought better of it, closed it and simply nodded her head.

“Alright,” she agreed quietly. Just then there was a light tap on her door and they all swiveled their heads towards the door as a female doctor walked in.

“Ah, you’re awake, Ms. Snow, excellent. I’m Dr. Rose,” she stated and Caitlin smiled tiredly.

“Hello,” she murmured. Dr. Rose flipped over some of her notes before smiling kindly at her.

“We’ve run tests and are pleased to say the pill which was put in your system will have no lasting damages. You may feel tired and groggy for a couple of days and that’s completely normal. My only recommendation? You take the next week easy and consider staying at home while you recover,” she said.

“I have school,” Caitlin frowned but Nicole quickly cut in.

“One week off won’t hurt you, honey. Especially when your teachers learn the reasoning,” she murmured.

“Besides, Cisco and I will get all your homework, which I’m sure the teachers will give you extensions, given the circumstances,” Barry assured and she thought it over before nodding her head. 

“Alright,” she agreed and Dr. Rose smiled. 

“Wonderful. I’ll draw up your discharge papers in the morning,” she replied before looking at Barry.

“Visiting hours ended an hour ago,” she raised an eyebrow and Barry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Yeah, I know. I, uh, just wanted to see for myself that she was okay,” he muttered and the doctor shook her head with chuckle.

“We’ll break the rules this once but only because you got her to us so quickly,” she replied and Barry flashed a grin. Dr. Rose then excused herself to go check on other patients and Caitlin reached out a shaking hand towards the cup of water on her nightstand.

“Let me, Cait,” Barry murmured and he brought the straw to her lips and she took a long drink, easing the parchedness of her throat. 

“Thanks,” she murmured as she slumped back on her pillows. Nicole looked between Barry and Caitlin for a moment before smiling softly.

“Why don’t you go on home and get some rest, Barry? You can come visit Caitlin tomorrow when we get home,” Nicole suggested and Barry tore his eyes from Caitlin to look at Nicole before nodding his head and standing up.

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?” Barry asked Caitlin and she smiled as much as she could.

“Alright,” she murmured. He hesitated, before bending down and dropping a light kiss to her forehead before straightening back up.

“Sleep well, Cait,” he said softly and she nodded her head.

“See you tomorrow, Barry,” she replied and watched as he walked out of the room and shut the door softly. She then looked at Nicole who was watching her.

“What?” Caitlin asked softly and Nicole quickly shook her head.

“Nothing,” she murmured. “I just haven’t seen someone look at you that way since Ronnie. Or you look back at them the way you looked at Ronnie.”

Caitlin furrowed her brow. “I…”

“Don’t try and make sense of it now, sweetheart. Just rest,” Nicole encouraged gently. Too tired to disagree, Caitlin complied and let sleep take over once more, feeling perfectly calm for the first time all night. 

Author’s note: Just a short one considering I’m super sick tonight. I’ll try and get another one out soon, but I need to focus on my health. Hope you like XOXO


	11. Chapter 11

Caitlin was released from the hospital the following morning with strict instructions to take it easy over the following week while she recovered. She agreed and Nicole drove them home after they wheeled her to Nicole’s car. Once they got home, Caitlin headed straight for her room to get changed into more comfortable clothes after she slipped off her shoes. Once she was in some sweats and a tank top and her sweater, she made her way back downstairs where Nicole handed her a cup of coffee. She smiled gratefully.

“Figured you could enjoy the real thing right about now,” Nicole murmured.

“Thanks, Nicole,” Caitlin hummed as she took her first sip, relishing in the warm liquid. She made her way to the couch and sat down, stretching out her legs and sighing tiredly. 

“Rest, alright? I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything,” Nicole said gently and Caitlin nodded her head. Nicole made her way to the kitchen, realizing that Caitlin didn’t want or need an audience. Caitlin’s mind drifted to the previous evening as she sipped her coffee. She thought over Jay and the party; what he did and how she felt. She knew that there was going to be repercussions, knew Nicole was going to want to press charges. She just wasn’t sure if that’s what she wanted. Yes, what Jay did was wrong and inexcusable, but she wasn’t sure if she had the damn energy to go to court about this. Sighing, she took another sip of coffee as she leaned further back into the pillows. Just then, there was a soft knock at the door and she looked up.

“I’ll get that, Cait,” Nicole said as she made her way out of the kitchen and towards the door. She heard Nicole chuckle as she opened it.

“Should’ve known it wouldn’t take you long to be here,” Nicole said and Caitlin smiled. She knew who it was before she even saw his face. Sure enough, Barry peered at her a moment later and Caitlin shook her head fondly.

“Hello, Barry,” she murmured and Barry made his way towards her.

“I’ll give you guys some time together,” Nicole said. She looked between Barry and Caitlin before smiling slightly.

“But don’t worry, I’ll be right in the kitchen if you need me for anything,” she added and Caitlin wondered why that sounded like a warning. Caitlin tucked her feet underneath her and wordlessly tilted her head towards the empty space on the couch, inviting him to sit down. Barry complied. He looked at Caitlin for a moment, before smiling gently.

“How are you feeling, Cait?” Barry murmured and she thought about it.

“Still a bit tired but less out of it than I did last night at the hospital,” she replied truthfully.

“That’s good,” he said and she hummed. The conversation was left there for a moment and Caitlin took another sip of coffee while she waited. It looked like Barry had more to say and was just choosing his words carefully.

“What are you going to do about Jay?” Barry eventually asked and she thought about it before shrugging a shoulder.

“I’m not sure if I want to do anything at all,” she muttered and a frown washed over Barry’s face.

“Cait, you can’t let him get away with this,” he said softly and she sighed.

“I know that. I’m just too exhausted to want to do anything. I just want to finish my senior year in peace,” she murmured. Barry thought that over before nodding his head slowly.

“At the very least, he should be kicked off the football team,” he said and she agreed.

“I know, I might go to Coach West but I feel like he’ll want me to press charges,” she said.

“Why don’t you let Oliver handle that?” Barry asked and she looked at him curiously.

“What do you mean?” Caitlin asked and he rubbed a hand over his face.

“I’ve been in contact with Felicity, who’s been in contact with Oliver. She said he’s mad and thinking of the ways Jay must pay for his actions. He’s trying to figure out a way to talk to Coach West without getting your name dragged in,” Barry murmured and Caitlin smiled slightly. 

“He’s a good guy,” she said softly and Barry laughed.

“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” he muttered and Caitlin raised an eyebrow, silently asking him to explain his statement. Barry sighed.

“Look, Cait, he should’ve been able to prevent this. If him and Felicity weren’t so attached to each other, they would’ve noticed Jay harassing you a lot sooner. They could’ve intervened before anything happened” he said. Caitlin frowned.

“Please tell me you didn’t say anything like that to Felicity,” she implored and Barry shook his head quickly.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t. I wanted to, but I bit my tongue. She didn’t need me jumping down her throat,” he murmured and Caitlin sighed in relief.

“Thank you, Barry,” she murmured and the two friends fell silent. Caitlin watched Barry as she noticed a silent struggle cross over his face. She sensed that he was deliberating on asking her something or not. She placed her hand over his and he looked up.

“What is it, Barry?” Caitlin asked softly and he sighed.

“I’m…just wondering if there is someone back in London, waiting for you? I need to know if we need to call them and let them know what happened,” he muttered and Caitlin thought about it before exhaling shakily. 

“There…used to be someone, but he passed,” she muttered and Barry stared at her.

“Come again?” Barry whispered and she sighed.

“Ronnie, my boyfriend, got into a car wreck about six and a half months ago. He didn’t make it,” she said quietly. Barry stared at her for a long moment before wrapping her in his arms. She tensed for a moment before relaxing and hugged him back.

“God, Cait, I’m sorry,” he muttered as he rubbed her back soothingly. She shrugged a shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she murmured but he shook his head.

“No, it’s really not. It’s not fair that you’ve seen so much tragedy in your life and then this had to happen on top of everything else,” he said softly. He pulled back and looked at her. Her eyes were red rimmed and she knew she must’ve looked a little lost.

“You’re beautiful when you cry, you know that?” Barry murmured. Caitlin tried to turn her head away when a couple more tears leaked down but he placed his hand gently against her cheek and stilled her.

“No, don’t turn away from me,” he said quietly and she looked at him. She inhaled deeply.

“Alright,” she said softly. She wiped her eyes and sighed. She had almost forgotten what it was like to cry over Ronnie, it had been that long since she let herself. Barry wiped away a few more tears gently and she closed her eyes at the touch. It had been so long since someone had been this gentle with her and with everything that had happened, it was the first time she felt safe. She leaned into his touch once he cradled her cheek again. 

“I’m here if you ever need to talk about it,” he said and she nodded her head. She knew that.

“I appreciate it, Barry,” she murmured and opened her eyes in time to see him smiling softly at her.

They continued to talk for a couple more hours before Nicole come back and he decided it was time to go.

“Cisco and Hartley heard what happened from Felicity and both send their well wishes. Is it alright if I tell them how you’re doing?” Barry asked as he stood up. She followed suit as she nodded her head and walked with him to the door.

“That’s fine,” she said softly. He stared at her for a long moment before hesitantly kissing her cheek. She smiled.

“Get some rest Caitlin, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

“Tomorrow,” she replied. She smiled as she shut the door softly and leaned back against it. For once, she wasn’t sure what to expect for the future but that didn’t leave her afraid, but rather excited. And that? That   
was good enough for her.


	12. Chapter 12

Caitlin soon found herself facing the following Sunday, the day before she returned to school. She was in her room, sitting on her window seat and writing in her journal, when there was a light knock on her door and she looked up curiously.

“Come in,” she called softly and Nicole peeked her head around the door before walking in.

“Hey, honey,” she smiled and Caitlin returned it, wondering what her godmother wanted. Nicole hesitated before speaking up.

“Look, Cait, I’m sure the school will understand if you needed to take a little more time off,” she said gently as she sat down next to her on the window seat. Caitlin smiled but shook her head nonetheless. 

“Nicole, you know I can’t afford to fall behind,” she reminded her godmother and Nicole just sighed.

“I know, but I worry about you,” she admitted as she tucked some of Caitlin’s hair behind her ear in a motherly fashion. Caitlin nodded her head.

“I know. That’s why I’ll stay in touch with you as much as I can this week, reminding you that I’m alright. Plus, Felicity and all the guys will be there, as well as Oliver. Everything will be fine,” she promised softly. Nicole studied for a long moment before exhaling.

“Alright,” she breathed. “Call me if you need anything or get overwhelmed, alright?”

“I will,” Caitlin agreed immediately and Nicole kissed her on the top of her head before telling her not to stay up too much longer. Caitlin laughed as she shut the door behind her softly. She only had a few more paragraphs she wanted to write in her journal and did so quickly, before snapping it shut and preparing for bed. Once she had Ronnie’s sweater wrapped around her, she climbed under her covers and fell asleep quickly, excited to be returning to school the next day.

When Caitlin woke up the following morning, however, she noticed her excitement had flipped to nerves and she laid in bed for a long moment, seriously contemplating transitioning into homeschooling. After a few more moments of undisturbed thinking, Caitlin got out of bed and got ready for school, taking deep breathes as she did so. When she made her way downstairs and towards the coffee pot, Nicole took one look at her and sighed.

“Come here, sweetheart,” she held her arms open and even though Caitlin was an adult, she crossed the kitchen and hugged her godmother tightly. Nicole rubbed her hand down her back soothingly.

“It’ll be okay,” she said firmly. “You can do this.”

“I can do this,” Caitlin repeated. She knew she needed to hold onto those words like a mantra if she was going to see Jay today. Just then, there was a soft knock at their door and both women pulled apart.

“Barry,” they said simultaneously and Caitlin laughed as she went go check. Sure enough, as soon as she opened the door, she saw Barry standing on their front porch with his hands in his pockets.

“Hello, Barry,” she murmured.

“Hey, Cait,” he replied softly as he smiled at her. She returned it as Nicole appeared.

“Figured it was you, Barry,” she greeted him and Barry laughed lightly as Nicole handed Caitlin her to go cup of coffee.

“Drink this on your walk and remember, call me if you need anything,” Nicole reminded her and Caitlin nodded her head as she accepted the cup.

“Thanks, Nicole,” she murmured as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She made her way onto the porch where Barry was still standing and she smiled softly at him.

“Ready?” Caitlin asked quietly. Barry nodded his head.

“Ready,” he affirmed and they made their way off the porch and down the driveway, talking softly as they walked at a leisurely pace. After a few times of their hands brushing, Caitlin boldly interlocked their fingers before glancing up at Barry.

“Is this okay?” Caitlin murmured, wanting to make sure she wasn’t crossing any lines.

He smiled at her. “More than okay.”

She laughed as they continued to walk. 

“Do you want to tell me a bit more about Ronnie or is still too soon and too painful to talk about him?” Barry murmured and she looked at him and then away, thinking about his question. She could talk about   
Ronnie. She had to.

“No, it’s okay,” she murmured. She inhaled shakily before starting to talk.

“I knew Ronnie since I was thirteen. We didn’t start dating until I was fifteen, when I was allowed, but he waited for me. He never dated another girl during those two years. He said he didn’t want to date anybody   
else and I told him that must’ve gotten boring. He said I must’ve gotten lonely, having to wait until I was fifteen before Nicole would let me date,” Caitlin laughed quietly and Barry mirrored it. 

“We dated for two years. Young and in love. I knew that I was crazy about him since the first time I laid eyes on him; he said he felt the same way. Then, a couple of months after my birthday, he got into a wreck,” Caitlin murmured as she swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat, memories of the past washing over her. 

“I stayed by his side for three days but he just wasn’t strong enough to pull through. Afterwards, I didn’t sleep or eat for a week, and Nicole, well, she was worried. Threatened to hospitalize me if I didn’t start eating again. That’s what snapped me out of it because I knew Ronnie wouldn’t want me to stop living,” Caitlin said. She thought over those first few weeks. How hard they were, how she had become so shy without Ronnie around. 

“I visited his grave every day after school until the day we moved away,” she finished and looked back up at Barry who was watching her. She hadn’t realized they had reached the school.

“You’re brave Caitlin, so brave,” Barry said gently and she smiled as much as she could.

“That’s thanks to Ronnie,” she admitted but he shook his head quickly.

“Don’t sell yourself short, sweetheart,” he murmured and she looked at him. He continued.

“Ronnie may have taught you how to not be shy but you got over all the hurdles that have been thrown your way on your own. You managed moving to a new school your final year, in a different country completely. And you’ve made new friends and have adjusted well. You’ve had your share of challenges here, as well, and you just manage to deal with them with grace. I don’t think anyone but yourself can take credit for that.”

She stared at him for a long moment.

“Barry?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to kiss you now, if that’s alright?” Caitlin asked.

“It’s alright,” he whispered. Caitlin wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up on her tiptoes, kissing him gently. This was the first time she had kissed anybody since Ronnie, and it was surprisingly easier than she’d thought it be. She relished in the gentleness of it before pulling back and smiling softly, cheeks tinted pink. Barry placed his lips against her forehead and held them there before returning her smile gently.

“Come on, sweetheart, we better get in there,” he tilted his head towards the school and she nodded, interlocking their fingers again and feeling genuinely happy since the party, something she didn’t take for granted.


	13. Chapter 13

Caitlin and Barry made their way into the school and Caitlin immediately stiffened when she saw Jay standing by her locker.

“What the hell does he want?” Barry growled and Caitlin ran her thumb against the back of his hand comfortingly. 

“Come on,” she murmured and jerked her head towards her locker. As they got closer, she spotted Oliver and Felicity walking towards them from the opposite direction. Caitlin stopped when she was about ten feet away from her locker and watched as Oliver said something to Felicity, who nodded her head and stopped where she was as well. Oliver then made his way towards Caitlin’s locker, glaring at Jay the whole time. 

Caitlin inched her way closer so she could hear what Oliver had to say to Jay.

“You’ve got some nerve, Garrick,” Oliver spat and Jay just raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah? Enlighten me, Queen,” Jay replied in a bored tone but Caitlin noticed how his fist clenched at his side. 

“You do what you did to Caitlin and then you’re at her locker the first day she returns to school? What do you want?” Oliver hissed.

“A chance to apologize and make amends,” Jay said calmly. That ignited a fire in Caitlin and she untangled her hand from Barry’s.

“Cait, what are you doing?” Barry muttered but she shook her head, simply indicating she didn’t have the time to answer questions. She headed towards Jay and Oliver, tapped Oliver on the shoulder and jerked her head to the side when he looked at her. Oliver shot Jay a look of contempt before moving to the side slightly, not quite leaving the vicinity. 

“Apology not accepted, Garrick,” Caitlin snapped and Jay raised an eyebrow at her.

“C’mon, Cait, don’t be like that,” he said quietly but Caitlin didn’t bother keeping her volume toned down.

“Why?” Caitlin demanded. “You slipped me something, clearly trying to take advantage, and only stopped when my friends showed up. You’re lucky you’re not sitting in a jail cell.”

“I shouldn’t have gone as far as I did,” Jay said softly.

“No, you shouldn’t have done any of it, Garrick,” Caitlin argued. She took a steadying breath.

“Now, get the hell away from me and if I ever see you anywhere near me or my friends again, I will press charges,” she threatened. She watched as his eyes flashed dangerously but she wasn’t afraid of him. It would take a lot more than Jay Garrick to make her afraid. He seemed to sense that and rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, Snow,” he muttered and pushed himself off her locker. Before he could get more than a couple feet away, however, he was blocked by Barry.

“Come anywhere, and I mean anywhere near my girlfriend ever again, and you’ll have to not only answer to the police, but to me, too,” Barry said quietly, voice full of anger. Jay raised an amused eyebrow.

“Yeah, Allen?” Jay challenged. “And what exactly do you plan on doing when I’m twice your size?”

Barry chuckled lowly. “You really want to risk finding out, Garrick?”

His tone made chills crawl up Caitlin’s spine and she saw as Oliver was cautiously making his way towards them, looking like he was ready to interfere and prevent a fight from breaking out if that was necessary. Jay looked at Oliver, then at Barry, before shrugging a shoulder.

“Whatever, I’m through with this conversation,” he muttered and pushed his way passed Oliver. Caitlin noticed not only Barry, but Oliver as well, glaring at his retreating form and she sighed.

“Guys, it’s fine,” she murmured as she dialed in her locker combination. She opened it and placed her bag inside, getting her stuff for her first three periods. Oliver looked at her before looking at Felicity, who smiled slightly.

“She’s right, Queen. If Jay does anything, she’ll press charges. May as well not worry about it now,” she murmured as she made her way towards Oliver and held his hand. Caitlin looked at their hands before glancing up at Felicity with a raised eyebrow.

“Something you care to share with the class, Licity?” Caitlin teased and Felicity rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, we’re dating now,” she said and Caitlin smiled.

“Took you two long enough,” Barry commented as he wrapped his arms around Caitlin’s waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. It was Felicity’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the class, Cait?” Felicity challenged and Caitlin laughed as she leaned back into Barry’s embrace. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and she hummed contentedly.

“We’re, sort of, dating as well,” she said softly and Barry nodded his head in agreement.

“But, we’re going slow and I’m letting Cait dictate the pace,” he added and she smiled warmly. Felicity nodded her head approvingly.

“The only way to do it, Allen,” Oliver chuckled and Caitlin could feel Barry’s smirk against her cheek.

“Ah, dating one oh one from Oliver Queen? I’m lucky,” Barry deadpanned and they all laughed. Caitlin glanced at her watch.

“C’mon, we better get to class,” she murmured to Barry and he unwrapped his arms from her waist and interlocked their fingers.

“We’ll see you at lunch, Licity,” Caitlin added.

“And, Queen,” Felicity stated and Barry and Caitlin just shot her an amused look as they walked away.

“Bet Cisco will love that,” Barry laughed and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

“He’ll have to,” she stated and Barry squeezed her hand. 

When they got to class, she spotted Cisco at their usual table and his eyes lit up when they landed on Caitlin. He flew out of his seat and rushed towards her, Barry just about managing to let go of her hand in time for him to engulf her in a hug.

“God, Cait, I missed you. Are you okay?” Cisco demanded as she hugged him back.

“I am and getting better every day,” she said softly as he let go of her and she tucked her hair behind her ear. 

“Jay will not get away with this,” Cisco promised but she shook her head.

“Don’t get involved Cisco,” she warned him. “I’m handling it.”

Cisco looked like he was about to challenge her but then caught the look on her face and sighed.

“Alright,” he caved. 

Class started just then and they had to focus on their school work. Caitlin got lost in her thoughts as she copied notes, thinking about the party and what would’ve happened if Barry and her friends hadn’t shown up in time. She shuddered as she thought about it but was determined to go on living life as normally as possible. When the bell rang, dismissing them, Barry walked with her all the way to the gym.

“Be safe and I’ll see you next period, alright?” Barry murmured and she nodded her head as much as she could.

“I will be,” she promised softly and he kissed her gently before walking away. Caitlin made her way into the gym and headed towards the changing rooms. She wasn’t more than five feet away from it when she was stopped by Jay.

“Get out of my way,” she said lowly.

“Please, just let me say something,” he pleaded but she wasn’t willing to listen to any of the garbage he wanted to spew out of his mouth.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Way.” Caitlin reiterated. Just then Oliver walked up.

“She didn’t stutter, Garrick. Move. Now,” Oliver hissed and Jay shot her one more look before walking off. She looked at Oliver curiously and he smiled gently.

“I promised Felicity I’d keep an eye on you,” he murmured and she rolled her eyes fondly.

“Remind me to thank her,” she replied softly before going and getting changed. Gym passed by quickly, with them playing a game of dodgeball. Caitlin tried to stay away from other people as they threw the balls, and she managed to succeed for the most part. Coach West laughed in amusement as she went running away from one that was launched at her.

“They’re not going to hurt you, Snow,” he reminded her gently and she just shrugged a sheepish shoulder.

“Gym’s not my forte,” she mumbled.

“I don’t know about that, you shaved about a minute off your last two miles. Your running is improving at least,” he replied and that left her oddly happy.

“Thanks, Coach West,” she smiled. He then dismissed them and Oliver walked with her to the changing rooms.

“I’ll wait for you right here and then we’ll head out together, alright?” Oliver asked and she nodded her head. She showered quickly and dressed, hurrying to meet up with Oliver. She knew that she would be under supervision until this whole thing blew over but she wasn’t really upset about that. It meant she had people who cared about her, far more than she did in London. And that was good enough for her.


	14. Chapter 14

Once Caitlin and Oliver had made it out of the gym, they spotted Barry leaning against the wall, waiting for them, it seemed.

“Queen?” Barry asked and Oliver smirked.

“Just following instructions,” Oliver stated and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

“Apparently, no one thinks I can walk across the campus on my own anymore,” she muttered as she interlocked her fingers with Barry’s. He kissed the back of her palm before letting their hands swing between them.

“That’s not true, Cait, it’s just safer for this way as of now,” he murmured and she smiled, despite how she felt about being babysat. 

“Well, since you’re here, I’m going to head to class. See you two at lunch,” Oliver waved before heading off towards the eastern part of their school. Caitlin and Barry made their way to their History class, where people were queuing up outside, waiting to go inside. Once the teacher ushered them in, they all made their way to their desks, waiting for the class to begin. Caitlin’s phone pinged with a notification and she took it out quickly and realized she had a text from an unknown number. Opening it curiously, Caitlin felt her heart rate spike up as she read it.

We still need to talk, Cait -Jay

Caitlin deleted the text and put her phone back in her bag with shaking fingers.

“You alright, babe?” Barry asked softly and she painted a smile on her face.

“Fine, just Nicole saying she’ll be a bit late tonight,” Caitlin lied through her teeth. Luckily, Barry seemed to buy the lie because he dropped the subject with a smile and quick nod. Caitlin would be damned if she brought Barry even further into this mess. The teacher started the lesson then and Caitlin focused all her attention on the subject, doing her best to ignore Jay and the text message he had sent her. How he got her number, she wasn’t sure. However, she couldn’t focus on that or she’d be consumed with worry. When the period finally came to an end, Caitlin and Barry gathered up their stuff and made it to the courtyard where 

Hartley and Cisco were already waiting for them at their usual table. Caitlin sat down and unpacked her lunch while Barry went to go get food from the cafeteria.

“You alright, Cait?” Hartley asked softly and she looked up at him to see concern swimming in his orbs. She sighed.

“I’m fine. Nothing a little rest didn’t fix,” she murmured. Hartley frowned.

“Caitlin, you don’t have to lie to me. We’re practically best friends,” he muttered.

“How about you stop trying to be a best friend snatcher, Hartley?” Cisco demanded and Caitlin shook her head in amusement at their antics.

“Honestly, Hartley, I’m fine. Barry and Felicity showed up at just the right moment to prevent anything from happening,” she promised him. After studying her face for any hints of dishonesty, Hartley sighed and nodded his head.

“Alright,” he murmured and she knew he had closed the subject. Barry sat down at the table just then, as did Oliver and Felicity. Caitlin watched as Cisco stared up at Oliver.

“Are you lost?” Cisco asked bluntly and Caitlin took another bite of her sandwich to prevent herself from laughing. 

“No, Cisco, Queen is sitting with us,” Felicity snapped and Cisco turned his head from Oliver to her and back again.

“No…. are…. you’re not…are you dating?” Cisco demanded and Caitlin couldn’t help it, she laughed.

“So articulate, Cisco,” she deadpanned and Felicity joined in on the laughter. After her laughter died down, Felicity nodded her head.

“We are,” she declared and Caitlin shot her a smile, which was returned.

“Why didn’t anybody tell me?” Cisco demanded incredulously.

“I just did, Francisco,” Felicity stated plainly. 

“Don’t call me that,” Cisco winced and Oliver chuckled.

“Well, are you going to be alright with me sitting here for the remainder of the year?” Oliver checked and Cisco released a long-suffering sigh.

“Don’t seem to have much of a choice, do I now? But be warned, Queen: hurt her and you have me to deal with,” Cisco threatened and Oliver just raised an amused eyebrow.

“Noted, Francisco,” Oliver replied. 

Light conversation settled through the group, with Cisco even including Oliver and Caitlin found herself relishing in how much she cared for Barry and her friends. Just then, someone cleared their throat and all eyes snapped up to see Jay standing there. Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

“What do you want, Garrick?” Hartley snapped.

“A word, with Cait, in private,” he replied calmly.

“Like hell that’s happening,” Barry and Cisco snarled simultaneously.

“Shouldn’t that decision be left up to Cait?” Jay demanded.

“Like hell that’s happening,” Caitlin reiterated. “And stop calling me that.”

“Please, Caitlin, just let me apologize,” Jay pleaded.

“I told you, Garrick, your apology is not wanted nor accepted. Go away before I take out a restraining order against you. I may not press charges for what you did but last time I checked, harassment was still not acceptable behavior,” Caitlin snapped. Jay stood there for a long moment before cutting his eyes to Oliver.

“I see where your loyalties lay, Queen,” Jay said and Oliver laughed humorlessly.

“Good, Garrick, I would hope so,” he replied and the two guys stared at each other.

“Just leave, Garrick,” Felicity demanded. With one final look at Caitlin, Jay walked off, muttering underneath his breath.

“I hope you know you’re not allowed to walk to or around school on your own,” Cisco said flatly and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Barry and Oliver already have you beat,” Caitlin replied and Cisco smiled.

“Good.”

“Good.”

They continued eating lunch and talking steadily until the bell rang, dismissing them for their afternoon classes.

“I’ll meet you by your last class, alright?” Barry asked Caitlin softly and she nodded her head, kissing him softly.

“I’ll see you there,” she murmured and they parted ways, with Barry going to gym and Cisco, Caitlin, and Hartley heading to English. Caitlin watched as Jay stared at her from across the courtyard and sighed. She couldn’t say why, but she felt like what happened at the party was just the tip of the iceberg. That left her feeling far more terrified than she did at the party. She knew she was in for a long year.


	15. Chapter 15

As promised, Barry was waiting for her at the end of Calculus and greeted her with a smile, which she mirrored.

"Hey, you," Barry said softly as he placed his lips on her forehead and held them there. She closed her eyes on impact and smiled slightly.

"Hey, yourself," she murmured back as she pulled back so she could kiss him properly.

"Ahem, Ms. Snow and Mr. Allen; not in the hallways, shall we?" Dr. Wells called and Caitlin pulled back, blush tinting her cheeks pink. Dr. Wells raised an eyebrow at them before continuing to shepherd the other students out of the building and on their way home. Caitlin groaned as she pushed her head into Barry's chest.

"That's so embarrassing," she muttered and she felt rather than heard, Barry's laughter.

"C'mon babe, lets head home," he murmured and he interlocked their fingers, with Caitlin quickly nodding her head. The walk home was spent with chatter and jokes; Caitlin laughed at every poor attempt at a joke Barry made and he smiled gratefully.

"Thanks for putting up with me, Cait," he said and she laughed a genuine laugh this time.

"To be fair, your jokes aren't the worst I've heard before," she teased and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Ronnie?" Barry asked and Caitlin nodded her head, not finding the need to shy away from any mention of him like she normally did.

"He told the worst jokes, even worse than yours'!" Caitlin exclaimed and Barry matched her laughter.

"Mine aren't that bad. Give me some credit, babe," Barry replied and he bumped his shoulder with hers' as she swung their hands softly as they walked. When they reached Caitlin's house, Barry paused at the end of the driveway, looking like he wanted to say something but seemed torn.

"What, sweetheart?" Caitlin furrowed her brow. She waited patiently for him to speak up.

"There's…there's a dance in a couple of weeks," he mumbled and Caitlin watched in fascination as he turned red.

"Why, Barry Allen, are you blushing?" Caitlin teased and Barry chuckled before sobering up.

"No. I am not and was not," he replied and Caitlin rolled her eyes as she watched him rub the back of his neck and shift around on the balls of his feet.

"I was wondering if…if you maybe wanted to go?" Barry asked hopefully and the look on his face was enough to make anyone's heart melt. Caitlin squeezed his other hand.

"Of course, I'll go with you, you don't have to be shy about asking me that," she murmured and Barry smiled softly.

"Yeah?" Barry asked and she nodded her head.

"Yes," she affirmed. Barry laughed and kissed her forehead gently.

"But be warned, Allen, I do not and cannot dance," she added and Barry shrugged a shoulder.

"Neither do I," he replied. "Figured we could hang by the snack table all night and watch other people dance."

Caitlin laughed. "You're a mess, Barry Allen, but that sounds perfect."

He kissed her gently before letting go of her hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Cait," he murmured.

"Tomorrow," Caitlin agreed with a wave before heading inside. To her surprise, Nicole was home early tonight, making her heart soothe a little over the lie Caitlin had told Barry earlier.

"Nicole? What are you doing home early?" Caitlin inquired.

"I think the more pressing question you have to ask is: Nicole, did you see Barry kiss me? And the answer to that, my dear, is yes!" Nicole enthused and Caitlin rolled her eyes at her godmother's antics.

"Yeah, well, we're kind of dating now," Caitlin replied as she headed to the stairs so she could go up to her room and do her homework.

"C'mon, Cait! Give me more than that! This is serious! Its girl time!" Nicole protested but Caitlin just laughed.

"I'll see you at dinner, Nicole," Caitlin called over her shoulder as she made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom. Once inside, she kicked off her shoes and went and sat at her desk, pulling out her homework for Calculus, the only class she couldn't make any progress on the assignment she was given. After working steadily for a few hours, Caitlin closed her English binder with a sigh, relishing in the fact that all her homework was done before dinner so that meant she might get to see Barry if he decided to pop by like he normally did. She laughed at herself. When had she turned into the lovesick teenager she hadn't been in a long time? Rolling her eyes at herself, Caitlin made her way downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Pizza alright for tonight?" Nicole asked and Caitlin's stomach grumbled in response.

"That sounds perfect, Nicole," she replied as she sat at the barstool next to the kitchen table where Nicole had all her work spread out. Caitlin took the task of ordering the pizza, being sure to include everything the two women liked on their pizzas. Soon enough, the pizza was delivered and Nicole was clearing up her work space so they could eat at the table.

Halfway through their meal, Caitlin spoke up.

"Nicole?"

"Hmm?"

"I, I just wanted to let you know there's a dance in a couple of weeks and Barry asked me to go," Caitlin said and Nicole looked at her.

"Cait, you're almost eighteen; you don't have to ask me permission to go to a dance," Nicole reminded her.

"I thought you would say that so that's why I'm not necessarily asking permission, but rather letting you know that we're going to go," Caitlin said and Nicole laughed.

"Well, thanks for letting me know," Nicole replied. Caitlin nodded her head and went back to eating her pizza but looked up curiously a few moments later when Nicole cleared her throat.

"So, you and Barry, huh?" Nicole asked and Caitlin sighed before smiling.

"Looks that way," she murmured and Nicole grinned.

"Cait, that's great!" Nicole responded and Caitlin laughed at her godmother's thrill over the fact that she had a boyfriend.

"I…I'm just…. I don't want anyone to think I'm replacing Ronnie," Caitlin muttered a moment later. Nicole immediately sobered up.

"Oh, honey, no one does. However, you're entitled to happiness again, Cait," Nicole said gently and Caitlin thought it over as she waited for the lump that had lodged itself in her throat to dissolve. Once it did, she cleared her throat.

"I know that, I do, it's just hard to sometimes accept," she murmured. Nicole squeezed her hand.

"It's okay to miss him and carry on with your life, Caitlin," Nicole said quietly and Caitlin nodded her head as much as she could.

"I know," she whispered. She felt better now that she had gotten some of her worries off her chest and helped Nicole clear up the table. When they were done, they retired to the living room so Nicole could finish her work and Caitlin could read, deciding to wait and see if Barry would show up.

Author's note: Not a lot of Barry in this chapter but I wanted to get a chapter for Nicole and Caitlin. XOXO


	16. Chapter 16

As she had expected, Barry came knocking on her door not even thirty minutes after they had sat down in the living room.

"Remember, ten is your curfew on school nights," Nicole reminded her as she went to go answer the door. Caitlin nodded her head.

"I know," she replied as she stepped out on the front porch. Barry was facing the front yard with his hands in his pockets, watching the sun set.

"Hey, you," he murmured as he tore his eyes away from the sky and smiled softly at her. She returned the smile.

"Hey, you," she repeated back quietly. He held his arms open and she walked into them, nestling herself against his chest. He placed his chin on her shoulder and she hummed contentedly. They stood like that for several moments, enjoying the peace and quiet enveloping them. She eventually broke their tranquility softly.

"I told Nicole about the dance; she didn't have a problem with me going," she murmured and she felt Barry's cheek graze her ear as he nodded.

"Uh…" he trailed off and Caitlin could tell Barry was embarrassed from his tone alone.

"'Uh' what?" Caitlin asked softly and he chuckled.

"My mom will probably want us to take pictures since this is my first dance with a date," he muttered and she laughed gently.

"Your mom and Nicole seem like they would get along just fine. Nicole will want to drain her battery on her camera with how many photos she'll want to take," she remarked and it was Barry's turn to laugh.

"You're right; they do seem like they'd get along," he agreed. They fell silent for a bit more, with Barry pressing kisses to her hair occasionally. Her mind registered several moments later with something he had said. She turned around in his arms so she was facing him directly.

"You've never taken a date to a dance before?" Caitlin asked curiously and he laughed embarrassedly.

"Nope, not even to one in junior high. I wasn't exactly what you'd call cool. Still am not," he replied and she laughed.

"It's okay, neither am I. We'll just have to be uncool together," she murmured.

"I think I can handle that, Ms. Snow," he replied.

"I was hoping you'd say that, Mr. Allen," she chuckled. She thought of something that stilled her laughter.

"Where'd you go?" Barry asked softly and she sighed.

"I just hope Jay won't be there," she muttered and Barry kissed her forehead.

"Even if he is, he'd be pretty stupid to show his face around us. I have it on pretty good authority that Felicity and Queen are going together, and Cisco and Hartley decided to see what it's about as well; Garrick is an idiot but I don't even think he's stupid enough to try and talk to you when we're all around you," Barry replied back resolutely and that made Caitlin smile.

"Yeah?" Caitlin asked hopefully.

"Yes," Barry reiterated firmly.

"Good," Caitlin sighed as she brushed her lips against Barry's once, twice, three times before pulling back. She smiled contentedly as he kissed her forehead once more.

"Is there a certain theme for the dance?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Well, since it'll be right around Halloween, I think the planning committee is aiming for a masquerade ball," he replied and Caitlin smiled.

"That sounds like fun," she squealed excitedly and he laughed.

"Easy, sweetheart, or they'll rope you into joining them," he murmured and she rolled her eyes fondly.

"Maybe I'd be good at helping organize a dance," she replied and he chuckled.

"Maybe you would," he hummed in agreement and the conversation was left there for a moment. They fell into a comfortable silence as the watched the remainder of the sunset, enjoying the presence of each other.

Just then, Nicole popped her head out the door.

"Half an hour til curfew!" Nicole called before pulling the door shut quickly. Caitlin and Barry looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Nicole isn't quite as subtle as I need her to be," Caitlin admitted, cheeks tinted pink.

"No, but it's okay, I need to be heading back inside anyways," he said softly and she nodded her head.

"I'll see you in the morning, yes?" Barry questioned and she smiled.

"Of course, we're walking buddies, after all," Caitlin stated before kissing him. Barry wrapped his arms around, lifting her a little off her feet and kissing her back, equally as passionately.

"Have a good night, sweetheart," he murmured, pressing his head against her forehead.

"Good night," she replied quietly, before the pair made their way into their respective houses, agreeing to see each other in the morning.

Author's note: This is a stupidly short chapter because I needed a filler to get the ball rolling once again in the direction I needed it to. For any of you still reading, they won't be this short again. Sorry! XOXO


	17. Chapter 17

The night of the danced rolled around and Caitlin suddenly found herself getting ready in her room with Felicity. They had gone shopping since both women didn't own "dance appropriate" attire.

"You look stunning, Cait. I hope you know Barry won't be able to keep his eyes to himself," Felicity told her earnestly and Caitlin laughed as she put in her other earring.

"The same goes for you, Licity," she replied. "Oliver won't know what hit him."

Both women laughed as they finished getting ready. Just then, there was a light knock on Caitlin's door and she went to go answer it. Nicole poked her head around the door and smiled brightly.

"You two ladies look lovely," she gushed and Caitlin smiled.

"Thanks Nicole," she said. Caitlin glanced at her watch.

"Barry will be here soon, we better get downstairs," Caitlin commented and Felicity nodded her head.

"Is it weird that Oliver is going to be riding with us?" Felicity asked and Caitlin shook her head.

"Nope, I just considered him part of the group now," she replied truthfully.

"Bet the football team loves that," Felicity deadpanned and the two friends shared a chuckle as they made their way down the stairs and into Caitlin's living room where Nicole was setting up her camera.

"Nicole, do try and go easy on the photoshoot, yeah?" Caitlin teased and Nicole rolled her eyes.

"This is your first dance, Cait; there's no way I'm not documenting the occasion," she replied and Caitlin shook her head. Just then, the doorbell rang and it seemed like everybody had arrived at the same time. Barry, with his mom; Hartley and Cisco; and Oliver filtering in last. Caitlin felt a bit overwhelmed about having Oliver in her house after seeing what his looked like but he smiled gently at her.

"Great place you have, Caitlin. Very homey," he said and she smiled softly.

"Thanks, Oliver," she murmured before making her way to Barry, who put a corsage on her wrist.

"You look beautiful, babe," he said quietly and she smiled as she blushed.

"You don't clean up too badly yourself, Barry," she replied and kissed him quickly.

"Alright, alright, picture time!" Nicole enthused and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Just humor her," she said quietly and everyone laughed. The group spent about half an hour taking pictures, with Nicole and Nora Allen alternating with their cameras. After a while, they finally stated that they were done.

"Have a lovely time tonight," Nicole said as Caitlin and Felicity put their sweaters on over their dresses and they guys straightened out their jackets. Caitlin picked up her mask and held onto it as Barry looped his arm through hers'.

"We will, thanks," she said with a smile and everyone headed towards the door, getting ready to file out.

"Have a good time tonight, Barry," Nora murmured and he hugged her.

"Thanks, mom," he replied before releasing her and looping his arm once more through Caitlin's. They then headed out, splitting up into their respective cars; Caitlin and Barry in his, Oliver and Felicity in Oliver's, and Hartley and Cisco in Cisco's. After Barry had shut the passenger side door when Caitlin had climbed in, he made his way around the car and got settled himself, before backing out of her driveway and falling into line with the other two cars.

"I mean it, Cait, you look radiant," he said softly and she squeezed his free hand that was resting next to him on the console.

"Thanks, sweetheart," she murmured. They carried on with light conversation for the duration of their car ride, laughing and joking as they made their way to the school. Once they got there, Barry parked and went to her side of the car before opening the door and offering her his hand.

"Always the gentleman," she teased gently and Barry smiled.

"Always," he replied. Just then Oliver and Felicity pulled up, mirroring their actions, with Cisco and Hartley arriving lastly. Caitlin tied her mask around her eyes and the group made their way into the school and headed to the gym. Once there, Caitlin took in everyone who was already there, wearing their masks, and the streamers that hung from every rafter on the ceiling. The gym was simply breath taking to look at; the lights that flashed around, the people in their masks, everything. She could tell the partying committee had really worked hard on the decorations.

"It looks amazing in here," Felicity commented and Caitlin quickly nodded her head.

"It does," she agreed.

"And to think, the committee didn't have your help," Barry teased and she swatted his shoulder.

"Hush," she murmured and he laughed before interlocking their fingers together. Felicity dragged Oliver to the dance floor with a quick "see you later" thrown over her shoulder; Hartley and Cisco made their way to the snack table and immediately began looking over the food; and, Caitlin and Barry stood off to the side a bit, watching the scene.

"Thanks for agreeing to come with me tonight," Barry called over the music and Caitlin smiled warmly.

"Thanks for agreeing to not dance with me," she laughed.

"I don't know if I'd trip over my feet or step on yours', so I think that was the safest bet to make," Barry mirrored her laughter and they fell into easy conversation, enjoying the time they got to spend together as they watched everyone else dance. Eventually, the music changed from a fast-paced song to a slow one and, despite her wishes, Barry held out his hand.

"How do you feel about standing in place and sort of just swaying from side to side?" Barry asked curiously and Caitlin smiled.

"As long as you don't step on my feet," she replied as she placed her hand in his.

"I make no promises," he muttered. They made their way to a corner of the room, away from most of the other dancers and Caitlin placed her arms around his neck as his settled against her waist. They swayed to the music; out of step and time, but they were dancing nonetheless. Caitlin laid her head on Barry's chest and sighed contentedly. She didn't think she'd end up feeling this content with dancing, but, here she was, having a good time and it was thanks to the guy she was starting to fall in love with. She didn't want to say anything in fear of sending him running but she need not worry.

"Cait?" Barry asked softly a couple of minutes later.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not sure if it's too soon and you don't have to say it back if you're not ready but I-I think I love you," he murmured and Caitlin lifted her head from his chest, searching his face for any hints of dishonesty. When she couldn't detect any, she smiled warmly.

"I think I love you, too," she said quietly and the relief that washed over his face left her chuckling.

"Yeah?" Barry whispered.

"Yes," she replied firmly and he smiled.

"Good," he said softly and kissed her gently. She returned the kiss with such passion it left her dizzy. When they broke apart, Barry rested his head against her forehead. Just then, the song ended.

"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back, okay?" Caitlin asked softly and he nodded his head.

"I'll be here," he replied and she released his hands and made her way to the restroom. After checking her reflection, she headed back towards the gym but was stopped by someone calling her name.

"Caitlin?" The voiced asked and Caitlin had no trouble recognizing who was trying to get her attention.

"Leave me alone, Jay," she muttered as she continued walking towards the gym. He was in front of her in a heartbeat.

"You look beautiful," he murmured and she sighed.

"And you smell like stale alcohol; go away," she snapped as she tried to push passed him. He grabbed her by the elbow and pushed her back into a locker.

She closed her eyes as her head slammed against the door.

"Stop," she glared but he shook his head amusedly.

"Shouldn't have been ignoring me, should you?" Jay chuckled and Caitlin felt fear swirl up in her belly.

"Just go away," she muttered but Jay placed his hands against either side of her head, effectively locking her in place.

"Where are your manners, Snow?" Jay whispered.

"When it comes to you? They're nonexistent," she snapped as she tried to shove passed him. He grabbed her arm and twisted it; she winced at the fire like feeling that coursed through it.

"Let go, you're breaking my arm," she hissed but he continued to twist it.

"I don't like being ignored by a pretty girl," he murmured.

"I'm not property, Garrick," she growled before pushing him away and walking passed him.

Her arm was tingling but she just thought it was bruised, so didn't bother worrying about it. Once she was back in the gym, she headed straight to Barry who was waiting by the snack table and looking a little worried. Once he saw her, he smiled in relief.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Barry murmured as he took in the harassed expression that she was sure was etched into her features. She nodded her head.

"Fine, just ran into Jay," she mumbled and he narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Barry repeated and she sighed.

"Yeah, he didn't really do anything, just tried to scare me. It didn't work, though," she admitted proudly and Barry nodded his head.

"Alright," he murmured. They stayed by the snack table for a while, before going out to the dance floor periodically. The rest of the night was spent with him, laughing, and fears far from mind.


	18. Chapter 18

After the dance ended, Oliver and Felicity met up with the rest of them, Felicity pink in the face from having danced so much.

"Have a good time, Licity?" Caitlin asked the quirky girl and all she could do was bob her head in response. Caitlin laughed as she nestled herself further inside of Barry's arms, him reciprocating by placing a gentle kiss on her jaw.

"Are we ready to head back now?" Barry asked the group and they all nodded, heading outside of the school and towards their respective cars.

"I'll see you on Monday, Cait," Felicity hugged her before smiling at Oliver who was holding the door open for her.

"No funny business, Oliver," Caitlin warned and he chuckled.

"You wound me Caitlin; what kind of man do you take me for?" Oliver replied and Caitlin laughed softly as she too climbed into the car she had arrived in. She rolled down the passenger window and rested her chin on her arm, smiling at Cisco and Hartley.

"I'll see you both on Monday," she called to them and they parroted her smile.

"Monday," they said simultaneously before getting into their car and driving off. Barry backed out of the parking lot, humming along to the song that was playing as gentle background music, eventually singing along to the words. Caitlin raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You can sing?" Caitlin asked and he chuckled embarrassedly.

"I can carry a tune, I suppose," he agreed and Caitlin shook her head with a laugh.

"You're doing better than that, Barry," she told him sweetly and he looked at her briefly before redirecting his eyes back on the road.

"My mom can sing, I learned from her," he murmured and Caitlin smiled softly.

"Well, I don't know if either one of my parents could ever sing; I don't remember them singing to me when I was little. However, I know for a fact that I can't sing. I suppose I sound a bit like someone scratching their nails on a chalkboard when I sing," she laughed.

"Oh c'mon, you can't be that bad," he challenged her. She listened to the song for a moment, picking a part randomly and started singing. She feigned hurt when Barry winced.

"Alright, I lied. You can be that bad," he muttered and Caitlin shook her head amusedly. They fell into a comfortable silence, Barry singing and humming occasionally. She laced their fingers together and placed their hands on the console, with Barry picking her hand up every so often and kissing the back of her palm softly.

"I had a really fun time tonight," she murmured.

"Me too, Cait," he replied softly.

"And you didn't step on my feet that much," she teased.

"Hey! I didn't step on them once, thank you," he argued and she laughed.

When they pulled up to their street, Barry jerked his head towards the general direction of his house.

"Is it okay if I park my car and then walk with you to your house so we can talk for a bit longer?" Barry asked and she nodded her head, simply happy to not have the night end quite yet. They made their way over to her front porch after he parked his car and she opened the door softly. She saw Nicole typing away on her laptop.

"Hey, I'm home. I know it's close to curfew but is it okay if I stay outside and talk with Barry for a bit?" Caitlin asked quietly and Nicole smiled.

"That's fine, Cait, since you're technically at home by curfew and it's not a school night. Just don't stay out there until the sun rises," she replied and Caitlin laughed softly.

"Thanks, Nicole," she murmured before shutting the door softly and making her way to the front swing where Barry was already sitting at. She tucked herself into his side and he leaned his head on top of hers' after placing a featherlight kiss on her forehead. She sighed contentedly.

"So, tell me a bit more about London?" Barry prompted after a few moments of peaceful silence. She nodded her head.

"I lived in London since I was five, which you knew. The only people I really knew besides Nicole, was Ronnie and his friends; I didn't really have any friends of my own, not like I do here. I wasn't even friends with Ronnie's friends, really. I just knew them because I was dating him. It was basically Nicole and Ronnie that I talked to while living there. I was incredibly shy growing up, painfully so. I didn't really talk to many people in school," she murmured, getting lost in memories of the past. Barry squeezed her hand gently and that gave her the strength to continue.

"When I met Ronnie, it was like I had come out of my shell a bit. Or, rather, he yanked me out of my shell quite quickly," she amended with a chuckle, one that Barry matched.

"Then, when he died, I was sure I was never going to be a talkative person again. And for a while, I wasn't. I completely isolated myself from everyone that I knew through Ronnie and only talked to Nicole. My teachers didn't try to get me to engage in class because I still made good grades and did all the homework assignments; I think they knew I was a little broken beyond repair at that point," she muttered.

"You're not broken beyond repair, Caitlin," Barry said firmly and she nodded her head.

"I know that now, I do. I just really didn't know that then. Nicole took gentle care of me, though. Making sure I was healing at my own pace. For the first two months, she went with me to Ronnie's grave and sat with me while I cried. Then, after the tears dissipated, she stopped coming with me and would only talk to me about it when I wanted to," Caitlin said quietly. Barry rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and she sighed.

"But you're doing better now," he murmured and Caitlin knew it wasn't a question. She nodded her head regardless.

"Yes, moving here, despite my earlier resentment to the idea, seems to be what gave me the final push to go back to living my life. You and Cisco and all the others helped, as well," she added softly. Barry sat her up gently and cradled her face in his hands.

"I know that I can never replace what you lost, but I'm hoping we can write our own chapter in your book," he murmured and she blinked back the tears that threatened to escape and swallowed passed the lump in her throat.

"I'd like that," she whispered and he kissed her once, twice, three times before resting his lips on her forehead.

"I love you, Cait," he murmured.

"I love you, too," she breathed out, feeling utterly content with her life.


	19. Chapter 19

The following Monday showed Caitlin and Barry heading back to school. Barry was staring at her arm and not saying anything. Frowning, Caitlin glanced at her arm and noticed the hand like bruise that was discoloring her arm. Sighing, she glanced up at Barry.

"Don't worry about it, alright?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Cait, who did that to you?" Barry asked lowly and she sighed again. Not seeing any way around this, she bit her lip anxiously before nodding her head.

"Remember when I told you I ran into Jay in the hallway?" Caitlin asked quietly. Barry narrowed his eyes but nodded his head regardless.

"Well, he was a little drunk and grabbed me by the arm. I had to work hard to wrench my arm out of his grasp but eventually, I did. It's fine," she murmured but Barry shook his head.

"No, it's really not," he said, voice dangerously low. Caitlin sighed and squeezed his hand.

"Babe, let me handle it, alright?" Caitlin pleaded. She knew she shouldn't have had pushed her sweater sleeves up but it wasn't cold enough to wear them down completely. However, she withdrew her hand from her boyfriend's and pulled them down all the way, hiding the bruise from prying eyes. Barry sighed as she interlocked their fingers again.

"I hate him," he growled.

"Don't say that, sweetheart," Caitlin said quietly.

"Why not? It's true," Barry reiterated and she sighed. She knew there really wasn't a point in trying to convince him otherwise. She simply nodded her head and they dropped the topic. She could tell he was still angry with the way his eyes would occasionally glance back at her arm and his lips would thin out into a flat line but she decided not to continue the conversation.

They made it to school in good time and headed towards Barry's locker. Once there, they were greeted by an anxious Felicity.

"Licity, what is it?" Caitlin asked in concern, not sure what had her friend looking so harassed.

"Have you been to your locker yet, Cait?" Felicity asked quickly. Caitlin shook her head as she frowned.

"No, why?" Caitlin demanded, Barry shutting his locker as he, too, turned to look at Felicity. She gulped.

"Follow me," she said softly. Feeling fear pool in her stomach, Caitlin let go of Barry's hand and followed Felicity hurriedly, with Barry bringing up the end of the group. Once they got to her locker, Caitlin gasped. The door was swung open and all her stuff was strewn across the floor. Looking at the floor for a moment, Caitlin glanced up at Barry who was staring at her.

"Did you give your combination to anyone, sweetheart?" Barry asked quietly and she shook her head.

"N-no," she whispered and he squeezed her hand. Caitlin began picking up all her stuff, with Felicity and Barry quickly helping.

Hartley and Cisco made their way over through the crowd that had gathered around her locker.

"Move, move," Hartley said as they pushed their way through the crowd. Once they reached Caitlin, they stared around at the ground for a moment before looking at her.

"Are you alright, Cait?" Hartley demanded as they began to help her pick things up. Once they had gotten everything off the floor, Caitlin nodded her head.

"I'm fine," she murmured. Just then, Jay appeared.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Jay drawled out lazily and Caitlin glared at him.

"How'd you get my locker open, Garrick?" Caitlin demanded angrily but he merely laughed.

"I'm sorry, but where's the proof that I did that?" Jay asked and Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose before exhaling slowly, knowing he was right. Just then, Oliver appeared. He grabbed Jay by his letterman jacket and shoved him into the locker next to Caitlin's. Barry pulled her away from them and pushed her behind him slightly, with Caitlin putting her arm in front of him and pulling him towards her; protecting him as much as he was protecting her.

"I told you to stay the hell away from Cait, Garrick," Oliver hissed. Jay merely chuckled.

"You have no proof that this was me, Queen. Who knows, maybe there's someone in school who has a vendetta against our Caitlin here," he said amusedly.

"Not likely, Garrick," Felicity snapped.

"What's going on here?" A voice called and Caitlin whipped her head around to see Coach West pushing his way through the group of students who had gathered around them and were watching the scene unfold eagerly.

"Ms. Snow, what happened?" Coach West demanded as soon as he saw her locker. His eyes then traveled to Oliver and Jay, who were still glaring daggers at each other.

"Queen, let go of Garrick. Now," Coach West said calmly and, after a moment of glaring at him longer, Oliver dropped his hands and made his way towards Felicity, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, Ms. Snow?" Coach West repeated and she sighed.

"I-I'm not sure," she exhaled shakily. "My locker was like this when I got here."

Coach West looked at Jay who was smirking slightly.

"Something you'd like to share, Garrick?" Coach West asked and Jay quickly shook his head.

"No, Coach. I just think Cait here needs to be aware of anyone who has grudge against her," he replied and Coach West studied him. Caitlin knew they couldn't technically prove it was him, something Barry seemed to pick up on because he was breathing deeply as he glared at Jay. However, he didn't say anything. Coach West nodded his head.

"Alright," he replied in a clipped tone before turning to look at the crowd.

"Get to class, now," he demanded and all the students dispersed. He then turned his attention back to Caitlin.

"We'll get your locker fixed by the end of the day, Ms. Snow," he told her kindly and she nodded her head, trying not to appear as shaken up as she felt. Coach West looked at Oliver and Jay for a moment longer before telling them, too, to get to class. Oliver shot Jay a filthy glare before taking Felicity's hand and walking off. Jay looked at Caitlin quickly before turning around and walking away. Coach West smiled gently at Caitlin before he headed off in the direction of the gym. When it was only Caitlin and the three guys left, she turned her attention back to her locker and got out her books that she needed. Luckily, Jay didn't damage any of her stuff so she didn't have to worry about getting new books and binders. Sighing, she walked away from her locker, with the guys following her.

They didn't say much on their walk to their class, Hartley having stopped at a classroom a few doors before Wells', and Caitlin thought furiously fast as they all made their way into the classroom and sat down at their desk. Barry placed his hand on her knee and rubbed soothing circles into the skin; it helped her calm down and steady her like an anchor. Sighing, she flipped open her spiral and began to take notes, not quite forgetting about what happened but pushing it out of her mind until she could focus on it later.


	20. Chapter 20

Caitlin wasn't sure how she made it through her morning classes while being on pins and needles but she did, and she was grateful. She made her way out to the courtyard with Barry in tow and sat down at the table that they always sat it. Cisco and Hartley were there already and sent her encouraging smiles as she sighed tiredly.

"Day is halfway over, Cait," Hartley murmured with Cisco nodding his head firmly. Caitlin smiled.

"I know, thanks guys," she said. Her phone went off then and she retrieved it and opened her text messages.

Locker was just the start of it, sweetheart -Jay;

Caitlin snapped her phone shut with fumbling fingers and glared in the direction to where Jay was seated. The jerk wasn't even looking at her with his trademark smirk and that left her even more infuriated. Sighing, she pushed her phone back into her bag and rearranged her features into a gentle smile as Barry sat down next to her. He returned it before taking a bite of his pizza and Caitlin took a forkful of her salad, humming while she chewed.

She tried to stay engaged in the conversation but she couldn't focus. What she wanted to know was how Jay got her number. No one she knew would have given it to him; Oliver didn't even have it. So how did he get it? Trying to make a list of ways he could've gotten it, she was pulled from her thoughts as the bell rang. She glanced up and saw Jay throwing away his trash.

"Cisco, Hartley, I'll meet you in English, alright?" Caitlin asked and they looked at her.

"Where are you going?" Cisco asked but she shook her head.

"I'll meet you in English," she muttered before heading towards Jay; she was on a mission and refused to be deterred.

He looked up as she approached and smirked at her before looking at the other members of the football team.

"Nice of you to join us, Cait," he murmured.

"I'm going to say this once so listen closely, Garrick," Caitlin snapped. "I don't know how the hell you got my number but you're not going to scare me. I don't scare easily and it's going to take a hell of a lot more than an idiot such as yourself to make me frightened. So, whatever it is you have planned, bring it on, but know I fight back ten times harder. If I must get a restraining order against you, I will," she said fiercely before turning on her heel and storming away. The sound of Jay's laughter rang in her ears but she was too mad to do anything about it. When she reached Hartley, Cisco, and Barry, they were all looking at her with concern etched into their features.

"What did you say to him, sweetheart?" Barry asked softly, having not been at the table when Caitlin went over to Jay. She shrugged a shoulder as she tightened her sweater around her.

"Nothing, just that I'll fight back if I have to," she muttered and Barry frowned.

"I really don't like the idea of you fighting him," he murmured and she placed her hand against his cheek and he held it there.

"I'll be fine, Barry. I'm not going to let Jay Garrick make afraid in my own school," she stated firmly before looking at Cisco and Hartley.

"Now, come one, let's get to class," she murmured before leading the way inside of the building, preparing for the fight to come.

Author's note: So, I apparently needed one shorter chapter to get the ball rolling again. This a basically a filler but it sets up the next part of the story nicely. Hope you all like it! XOXO


	21. Chapter 21

Caitlin made it to the end of the day without any more incidents. She had debated all afternoon about blocking Jay's texts but decided against in the end; if she ended up going to the police, she needed infallible proof that he was behind the texts. She left Calculus and headed to her locker with Felicity in tow and smiled gratefully at the fact that Coach West was right about having her locker fixed by the end of the day. Sighing happily, she dialed in her combination and opened the door, quickly stepping back in surprise. There was a single black rose hanging from the coat hanger in her locker, with a note taped to it. She was glad Felicity had already headed to her locker, so didn't see it. Caitlin quickly pulled the rose down and flipped open the note.

A rose as beautiful as you looked during the masquerade ball -J

She folded the note quickly and slipped it in her bag, tucking the rose down into it as well before rearranging her features into a smile as Barry made his way towards her.

"Hey, you," he murmured and placed a quick kiss on her lips. She smiled.

"Hey, babe," she replied softly, glad her voice wasn't trembling. She got out the books she would need for the night and shut her locker softly, before turning to look at Barry.

"Ready?" Caitlin asked and he nodded his head before holding a hand out to her.

"Let's go," he said and she interlocked their fingers together and they made their way out. As they walked, Caitlin's thoughts strayed to Jay. So now, not only did she need to find out how he had gotten her number, but she needed to figure out how he would've gotten her locker combination as well. She wasn't sure how many more surprises she could handle. It was Barry's gentle pressure on her hand that nudged her out of her deep thinking. She blinked and looked at him.

"Hmm?"

"Where'd you go, sweetheart?" Barry asked softly and Caitlin laughed as she tucked a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear.

"Just thinking about how grateful I am to have met everyone here," she lied, hoping he wouldn't be able to call her out on it. She'd be damned if she dragged Barry down in her sinking ship. He smiled at her gently.

"We're grateful to have met you, too," he murmured and she raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, really?" Caitlin teased and he laughed before nodding his head.

"Mhm," he hummed.

"Even though before I came here none of you were dealing with Garrick?" Caitlin challenged and he sighed as he stopped walking. She stopped too.

"I really want you to listen to me when I say this, Cait: Garrick is all of our problems, not just yours'. Don't think you have to handle him on your own and don't think you have to shut me out because you need to protect me or something else that's equally as stupid, alright?" Barry asked and for a moment she wondered if he knew about the texts, the flower. She inhaled shakily as she nodded.

"Alright," she murmured. He looked at her for a moment longer, to detect any hints of dishonest, she assumed, before smiling.

"Let's get you home," he said softly and they made the rest of the walk to her house in comfortable silence, not finding the need to fill it with mindless chatter. That was one of the things she really loved about her boyfriend; he seemed to be as okay with silence as she was. He still understood that the silence didn't mean she was mad or had nothing to say, but, rather, that she was lost in her head.

Once they reached her house, he paused.

"I mean it Cait, don't think you have to shut me out to protect me," he reiterated firmly and she nodded her head.

"Alright," she whispered. He rubbed her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb before kissing her gently.

"I'll see you later," he murmured.

"Later," she parroted and they both walked into their houses. One quick glance around told Caitlin Nicole wasn't home yet, so she made her way up to her bedroom and shut her door. She pulled out her books and glanced at the rose and note before leaving them in her bag. She still wasn't sure if she needed to go to the police yet, but, just in case she did, she didn't want to have to put any more prints on them than she already had. Sighing, she sat down and began her homework.

As to be expected, she was finished not even an hour and a half later so decided to make dinner for Nicole.

Once the hamburgers were ready, Nicole appeared.

"Something smells good, Cait," she called and Caitlin smiled as she walked in.

"I made hamburgers," she replied and Nicole smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, kiddo, I'm starving," she exclaimed and Caitlin laughed. The two women ate, both hungry from their days, and shared what they did.

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. I must go out of town this weekend for work. Will you be alright by yourself?" Nicole asked. Caitlin nodded.

"Yes. And, who knows, maybe Licity can come over and stay with me," she replied and Nicole nodded her head.

"I'm perfectly okay with that," Nicole stated and Caitlin smiled. The pair finished their meal and it wasn't too long before Caitlin was inviting Felicity over for the weekend. The blonde quickly agreed to staying the full weekend, leaving Nicole, (and Caitlin), a little more at ease with Nicole being gone. Just then there was a soft knock.

"Tell Barry I say hello," Nicole said absentmindedly as she poured over her work and Caitlin laughed quietly. She smiled as she opened the door.

"Nicole says hi," she murmured to Barry.

"Hi, Nicole," Barry called as Caitlin shut the door softly.

They made their way to her swing and sat down, Caitlin tucking her feet up underneath her as she did so.

"How was your evening?" Barry asked quietly.

"Fine, mainly did homework and then made dinner for Nicole and I. She told me she had to go out of town this weekend," Caitlin replied. Barry looked at her.

"So, you'll be home by yourself?" Barry asked but Caitlin shook her head.

"No, Licity is coming to stay with me," she murmured and saw the relief that washed over him.

"That's good. I didn't want you home alone," he said and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm a big girl," she reminded him gently and he laughed embarrassedly.

"I know. I wasn't implying that you couldn't look after yourself…I was…I," he trailed off with a sheepish shrug and Caitlin kissed him.

"I get it, you didn't want me home alone," she said his words back to him and he smiled.

They sat outside talking until their curfews.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Caitlin murmured as she kissed him goodnight.

"Tomorrow."


	22. Chapter 22

Caitlin made it to the end of the week but just barely. In between dodging Jay at school and ignoring his ever-constant texting, she was glad to see the weekend.

She met Felicity at her locker once the day ended.

"Hey, Licity," she greeted the blonde as she opened her locker. She quickly took out the books she was going to need for the weekend before shutting her locker softly.

"Hey, Cait, you ready to go?" Felicity asked and Caitlin nodded her head. Just then, Barry appeared, with Oliver not too far behind him.

"Hey, babe," Barry murmured as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead gently; Oliver greeting his own girlfriend in the same fashion. They stood talking for a few moments before Caitlin untangled herself from her boyfriend's grasp.

"We better go, Felicity," she said and the blonde girl pecked Oliver on the lips.

"Call me tonight if you two need anything, alright?" Oliver asked and both girls nodded their heads.

"We will," Caitlin assured him and Barry, who looked like he was about to say the same thing. She kissed him once before looping her arm through Felicity's.

"We'll see you guys on Monday," Caitlin called over her shoulder as the two friends walked out of the school and towards Felicity's car. The drive to Caitlin's house was a little under five minutes and the girls were pulling up as quickly as they had gotten in the car. Nicole was already gone, based on the note she left on the counter, which also included strict instructions to help them to anything in the fridge.

Felicity and Caitlin went to go drop their stuff off up in Caitlin's room before changing into comfortable clothes and making their way back downstairs. They settled in the living room, getting caught up in conversation. It was the first time Caitlin had ever had a sleepover with a friend before and she found herself enjoying it immensely.

"So, how's Oliver?" Caitlin asked softly some time later and caught the blush that painted itself across her friend's cheekbones. She laughed.

"He's good. His grades have improved since dating me," Felicity replied a bit smugly and Caitlin shook her head fondly.

"He's a good guy, Licity, don't let him go," she murmured and Felicity smiled happily.

"I won't," she promised and Caitlin mirrored her smile.

"What about you and Barry?" Felicity prompted after a few moments of silence and it was Caitlin's turn to blush.

"Ooh, look at that blush!" Felicity teased and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"We're good, Licity. Like, really good," she confirmed and Felicity laughed.

"If that smile is anything to go by, I believe it," she agreed. The friends talked a bit longer about both of their relationships before the growling of their stomachs interrupted them.

"I'll order pizza," Caitlin declared and Felicity nodded in approval. Just then, Felicity's phone went off with a notification and she answered it while Caitlin flipped through the pizza menu. When she looked up, Caitlin caught Felicity looking worried about something.

"Licity, what is it?" Caitlin asked gently, not wanting to startle her friend.

"That was Oliver; he says Thea got in trouble and he needs to talk about it…" Felicity trailed off as she bit her lip, looking uncertain. Caitlin waved her hand.

"Go meet him, I'll keep your pizza warm," she promised and Felicity looked at her hopefully.

"Yeah?" Felicity asked.

"Yes," Caitlin reiterated and Felicity hugged her tightly.

"You're the best, Cait. I'll be back in an hour, tops," she promised as she went to go change. Once she came back downstairs in the skirt and t-shirt she had worn, she slipped on her shoes and tightened her sweater around her.

"I mean it, hour, tops," she reiterated and Caitlin laughed softly at her.

"I know, now go," she pushed her towards the door. Felicity sent her one more look of appreciation before jogging to her car. Caitlin locked the door and glanced around her house. It definitely seemed empty now. Sighing, she quickly ordered the pizza to give herself something to do to help pass the time. Once it was delivered, she glanced at her clock and realized half an hour had passed. Only another half to go. She didn't know why but she was suddenly nervous about being in her house by herself. Deciding it was best to keep occupying herself, she decided it was suitable to do homework to pass the time. She made her way up to her room and opened her door, ready to get her bag from her desk chair. Only problem, someone was already occupying it.


	23. Chapter 23

"Jay, how the hell did you get in my house?" Caitlin hissed after her heart rate had calmed down. Jay smirked.

"You clearly underestimate my ability at scaling houses and picking locks," he replied as he stood up. Caitlin backed up several paces.

"Get out. Now." Caitlin said as bravely as she could, but her knees were shaking and she felt like she was going to collapse from fear at any given moment.

"Caitlin, I just want to talk," Jay murmured but she shook her head.

"No. And, if you don't leave, I'll call the cops," she declared. Jay was next to her in a second and she blinked at how fast It happened. He plucked her phone out of her hand and dropped it to the floor. The next second, he was smashing down on it, hard, with his foot. Caitlin gulped.

"You're not going to call anybody, Cait," Jay said calmly and Caitlin felt fear ripple through her body, leaving her shocked for a moment.

"W-what do you want?" Caitlin whispered.

"A chance for us to talk," Jay said softly and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Alright, talk," she replied in a clipped tone.

"I just wanted to say: I'm sorry about your locker and what happened at the party," Jay said quietly and Caitlin snorted.

"No, you're not, Garrick," Caitlin snapped. She had enough of his games. She glanced at him before bolting out of the room. In her shock upon finding him in her room, she had forgotten to shut the door so it was easy to make her way out of it. Once she was in the hallway, she ran as fast as she could. She made it to the stairs before he had caught up with her. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backwards, slamming her head into the wall. She took a steadying breath as stars burst in front of her eyes.

"Dammit, Caitlin. Just listen to me," he demanded angrily but she laughed.

"No," she spat out as she blinked passed the pain. She felt something warm trickling down her neck; it felt suspiciously like blood. He flung her down onto the ground and kicked her once in the ribs.

"Do you have a problem with your temper, Garrick?" Caitlin snapped as she breathed deeply through the pain.

"I don't like when people don't listen to me, Snow," he growled through gritted teeth. She winced at the fire like feeling coursing through her ribs but was determined to not beg him to stop.

"Well, hurt me as much as you want. I don't care. I'll still not listen to you," Caitlin laughed.

Just then, there was heavy hammering on the door.

"Caitlin? Caitlin, it's Licity and Oliver. Open the door!" Felicity yelled and Jay momentarily froze before yanking Caitlin up and pulling her flush against his body, clamping a hand down over her mouth in the process of it.

"Stay quiet, Cait, and let's wait until our friends leave," Jay whispered in her ear. She had other plans, however. She bit down on his hand, hard, and he yanked it away with a hiss.

"Licity! Jay's here!" Caitlin yelled as loudly as she could. The knocking increased in volume.

"Garrick, open the damn door, now!" Oliver's voice came through. Jay snarled as he pushed Caitlin off him. She lost her footing and went tumbling down the stairs. As she landed on the ground, with the wind knocked out of her, she glanced back up at the stairs in time to spot Jay running away. Breathing deeply, she noticed the angry pain in her ankle and sighed. From the feeling, it didn't seem to be broken, thankfully. She just assumed it had been twisted. She crawled towards the door and reached up a shaking hand to unlock it. Once they heard the lock click, the door was opened gently by Oliver and Caitlin found them staring down at her.

"Oh, Cait," Felicity murmured and then winced. Oliver bent down and picked her up and Caitlin worked hard to not groan at the pain that ignited in her ribs. He walked her to the couch and set her down before racing up the stairs. She heard him shouting for Jay but knew it would be no use; he'd have already left the instant Caitlin went down the stairs.

She was right, of course. Oliver returned a moment later.

"I can't find him," he muttered apologetically to Caitlin. Just then, there was another hurried knocking at her door and she glanced up.

"I'll get that," Oliver said as he made his way to her door.

"Where is she?" Barry's voice demanded.

"In the living room, come on," Oliver replied and next second, Caitlin spotted Barry racing towards her.

"How'd you know?" Caitlin murmured as he pushed her sweaty forehead off her forehead.

"I heard Felicity and Oliver shouting right before you let them in from my bedroom. I came racing over only a moment later," he replied breathlessly and Caitlin nodded her head. Barry lifted her shirt gently and winced at the bruises littering her skin around her ribs.

"I don't care how much you hate the idea, you are going to Coach West first thing on Monday," Barry stated, voice dangerously low. Caitlin went to go protest.

"Barry…" Caitlin began but stopped when he cut her off.

"Don't argue with me on this, Cait," he said, voice still low. She looked at him for a moment before nodding her head. He glanced at Felicity.

"Where the hell were you, Felicity?" Barry demanded angrily and Caitlin placed her hand against his cheek.

"Stop," she whispered and he sighed as he leaned into her touch. He nodded his head a moment later.

"Where were you, then?" Barry asked more calmly.

"I, uh, got a text from Oliver about his sister," she muttered and Caitlin looked towards Oliver.

"Is she alright?" Caitlin asked and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, just a major fight with my mom. Felicity tried calling you but you never answered, so she got worried. I came here with her and heard the fighting," he muttered and Caitlin sighed.

"Jay broke my phone," she admitted. Barry closed his eyes.

"We'll get you a new one," he promised and she nodded her head.

"I want to change my number as well. That way, he can't keep texting me," she murmured.

"What?" Barry demanded and she sighed.

"He's been texting me for the past couple of weeks," she muttered.

"Caitlin, I told you to not lie to me to protect me," Barry hissed and she licked her lips, nodding her head nervously.

"I know," she replied softly. "And I'm sorry."

Barry looked at her for a moment before nodding his head.

"We need to get you to the doctor," he murmured but she shook her head adamantly.

"No, no way. They'll call Nicole and she'll come home and be even more concerned than she already is," she replied firmly.

"Cait…" Barry began but she cut him off.

"I don't want her to think we have to move back to London or something," she added and Barry's eyes widened.

"Is that something she's thinking about?" Barry whispered and Caitlin sighed.

"Not that she's mentioned it, but yes. I know her well enough to know that she's worried and has been thinking about it," she replied softly. Barry stared at her for a long moment before nodding his head.

"Alright, what do we do then?" Barry asked. Caitlin thought about it.

"Give me a pillow to prop my ankle up on, I think it's sprained," she muttered and Barry narrowed his eyes but gave her a pillow nonetheless. He lifted her ankle and laid it down gently on the pillow.

She looked at Felicity.

"Licity, can you get me some ice for my ribs?" Caitlin asked softly. The girl nodded her head and quickly disappeared into the kitchen to get her some ice. Once she returned, Caitlin laid the bag down on her ribs gently and sighed contentedly.

"That's better," she breathed out and Barry sat down next to her on the couch, with Felicity and Oliver taking the chairs.

"Caitlin?" Oliver asked a moment later.

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to stay here tonight, I'll sleep on the chair," he said. She looked at him and then to Barry who was nodding his head.

"Me too," he murmured. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they wouldn't be swayed on their decisions. She nodded her head.

"Alright," she said quietly. The four friends fell silent then, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Caitlin knew she had to go to Coach West. She just hoped she was prepared to face the fall out that came from that.


	24. Chapter 24

Felicity and Caitlin eventually ate their pizza. Not out of hunger, but more of the fact that they didn't want to waste the money Nicole left for them. Once they were finished and had thrown away the trash, everyone congregated back in the living room, with Barry and Caitlin taking the couch; Felicity and Oliver back in the chairs.

"What are you going to do about Garrick, Cait?" Oliver asked and she sighed as she thought about her answer. She felt everyone's eyes on her and that made her nervous. She shifted some hair in front of her face, to help provide a curtain of protection. After a moment, she nodded her head and began speaking.

"I'm going to go to Coach West and talk to him about the situation on Monday. I don't know if he'll want me to go to the police. I suppose I'll just see what he has to say when the time comes," Caitlin replied with a furrowed brow. Barry reached for her and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Don't hide from us," he murmured and she smiled softly. He knew her so well. He cleared his throat after a momentary pause.

"I'll go with you to see Coach West," he replied quietly and she nodded her head appreciatively.

"That'd be great, babe, thanks," she said.

"As will I," Oliver added and she looked at him, curiosity piqued.

"You don't have to, Ollie," she replied but he shook his head.

"No, I'm tired of this asshole getting away with harassing you. He hurt you tonight. And that's not to mention all the stalking his been doing, plus what happened at the party. It's time he paid for his actions," Oliver growled and Caitlin sighed. She knew there was no point in arguing with him on the matter; he wouldn't be swayed. She caught Felicity rubbing circles into the back of his palm and smiled slightly.

"Alright, thank you," she murmured after a moment and some of the tension seemed to seep out of his shoulders. She yawned then, the adrenalin from the night finally wearing off. She had been in fight or flight mode ever since she had found Jay in her room; hell, ever since the party if she was being honest, and her exhaustion finally seemed to be catching up with her. Barry noticed because he pulled her onto his chest gently, making sure her foot was still being elevated.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart," he murmured and she nodded her head tiredly, fighting to keep her eyes open with each passing second.

"I mean it, Cait, it's alright to sleep. I'll still be here," he soothed and his voice settled on her like a warm blanket. That was the final push she needed and she sighed in contentment as she closed her eyes and surrendered to slumber, feeling safe at last.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Caitlin woke the next morning, it was to fiery pain. She sat up with a gasp, pushing Barry's arms off her. Of course, he felt the movement and woke up too.

"Cait?" Barry murmured before taking in the scene before him; she was breathing deeply and massaging her side. He sat up fast and eased her back onto the couch.

"Easy, Cait, easy," he soothed and she nodded her head as she let him push her gently onto her back.

"I'm just going to look at your side, alright baby?" Barry asked softly and she nodded again, giving him wordless permission to lift her shirt up and look. He eased her shirt up, rubbing his free thumb along her collar bone.

"God," he hissed as he took a good look at her side. She glanced down and saw her left side colored purple. Angry swelling was covering her ribcage, along with bruises littering all over that side. She sighed.

"How bad does it hurt, baby?" Barry murmured and she shrugged a shoulder.

"Noting unmanageable," she smiled tightly but Barry frowned.

"Now is not the time to downplay your pain, sweetheart," he reminded her and she licked her lips nervously.

"It hurts a bit," she amended and he nodded his head.

"Do you have any Tylenol?" Barry asked softly and she jerked her head towards the hallway.

"Bathroom cabinet, first door on the right," she muttered. He kissed her forehead gently before standing up.

"I'll be right back," he promised before heading in that direction. Caitlin slumped back against the pillows, ignoring the continuous throbbing in her left side and waited for Barry to return. He did only a moment later, with Tylenol and water. He handed her the medication and the glass of water, helping her to take it and then eased her back down onto the pillows before propping her ankle up onto a pillow that he placed on her lap.

"How does your ankle feel?" Barry asked quietly and she thought about it.

"Hurts, but not as bad as it did last night. I'm sure the Tylenol will also help with that," she murmured and he nodded his head, satisfied with her answer. Just then, Oliver and Felicity woke up and Caitlin smiled at her friends.

"Good morning," she said softly and they returned her smile.

"Morning, Cait," Felicity murmured as she stretched. Just then, Barry's phone went off with a notification and he glanced at it.

"Cisco wants to know what I'm up to today," he commented and Caitlin thought about it.

"They can come over here if they want," she said after a moment and Barry looked at her.

"Are you sure that wouldn't overwhelm you, sweetheart?" Barry asked softly and she nodded her head.

"I'm sure," she promised. She assumed Hartley would be with Cisco since it was the weekend and she was right.

"Hartley is with him," Barry added after receiving another reply and she laughed.

"Of course, he is," she teased. She glanced down and realized she had fallen asleep in the clothes she was wearing yesterday and sighed.

"Looks like I need to get changed. Licity, can you help me get up the stairs?" Caitlin asked her friend and the blonde nodded her head. She helped Caitlin make her way off the couch and up the stairs to her bedroom, where she grabbed some fresh clothes and changed, after Felicity went to go change in her bathroom. Once they met back in her room, Felicity helped her back down the stairs, with minimum protesting her from her ribs and ankle; she figured that the medication was kicking in. Once she was back on the couch, Barry sat down next to her.

"Cisco and Hartley are bringing bagels and coffee. I filled them in a bit on what happened," he murmured and Caitlin smiled.

"Figured you would," she replied. They all sat back and waited for their other friends to arrive. Caitlin knew it wouldn't be this hard forever, and she felt grateful beyond belief that she had this amazing group of friends in her life to help her get over the hurdles in her life. Sighing, she snuggled into Barry's embrace and continued to wait for her other friends to show up.


	25. Chapter 25

When Cisco and Hartley arrived with the promised coffee and bagels, Caitlin was in a better mindset; therefore, better company. Hartley was the first one to bend down and hug her gently, with Cisco giving her his own hug. They then picked up the food and beverages they had placed down on the coffee table upon their arrival and began handing them out. Caitlin accepted her coffee gratefully and took a needed sip; black, just the way she liked it. Once everyone had what the needed and Hartley and Cisco took seats on the floor, they all looked at her. Cheeks tinting pink, Caitlin cleared her throat.

"Yes?" Caitlin asked softly and Hartley smiled gently at her.

"Just wanting to know what you want us to do, Cait," he murmured and she frowned.

"What do you mean 'do'?" Caitlin asked and Hartley laughed softly.

"You're no longer allowed to handle Garrick on your own anymore, last night should've proven that; so, what would you like us to do?" Hartley repeated and Caitlin shifted around, trying to find a position that didn't cause pain to radiate through her ribs. The Tylenol didn't seem to be helping as much as she wanted. Sighing, she took another sip of coffee to prolong the moment until she had to answer. Getting lost in her thoughts, she began to forget about everyone in the room with her. What did she want them to do? She didn't want them fighting her battles, that much was certain. She blinked as a gentle pressure on her knee brought her back to the present moment.

"Where'd you go?" Barry asked quietly and she shrugged a shoulder.

"Just thinking," she mumbled. She cleared her throat.

"I really don't know what I want you guys to do. I do know that I don't want you fighting my battles for me," she stated firmly and Oliver scowled.

"We're family, Cait, we protect our own," he said fiercely and that was the first time Caitlin ever felt like she was a part of family unit outside of Nicole. Leaving her touched, she swallowed around the lump that rose in her throat and nodded her head.

"Alright," she agreed softly. She drank some more coffee to buy her a bit more time while she thought. Her friends were anything if not patient and just let her take her time, Barry's hand on her knee a reminder that he was her constant. Eventually, she placed the coffee down on the table and looked up at them.

"First things first: I go to Coach West. I tell him everything and see what he wants me to do," she said and Barry nodded his head.

"I'll be going with you," he reminded her.

"As will I," Oliver reiterated his earlier statement and she smiled gratefully at the two guys. It seemed less daunting to report Jay with two guys who would back her up. She hissed a little as she tried to adjust her position and Barry immediately pressed his hand gently against her ribs and looked at her in concern.

"It's alright," she murmured. She caught Hartley and Cisco watching out of the corner of her eye and sighed; she didn't need everyone concerned about her.

"You alright, Cait?" Cisco asked quietly and she nodded her head.

"Mhm."

He didn't seem to buy it because he looked at Barry for a bit more clarification. Barry looked at Caitlin for a moment before sighing apologetically.

"Jay kicked her in the ribs," he muttered and Caitlin watched as Hartley's hand flexed.

"He what?" Hartley demanded angrily but Caitlin shook her head.

"It's alright, Hartley," she murmured and it was. The pain would go away eventually and with any luck, Jay would be off the football team and no longer harassing her.

Hartley pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled slowly.

"Let's get this jerk thrown out of school," he growled with Cisco nodding his head firmly. She glanced around at Felicity who was staring at her with steely determination.

"Let's do it, Cait," she added and Oliver backed her up with his own statement. Again, she was left floored at the fact that so many people were looking out for her. She, someone who was so shy it was crippling, and here they were, not wanting anything in return from her. It left her astounded. She smiled gratefully and dipped her head as her cheeks warmed.

"Thanks, guys," she murmured and Barry squeezed her hand encouragingly. She smiled at him and he returned it immediately.

The rest of the morning was spent discussing tactics on how to tell Coach West what happened, with the group pausing for lunch as Felicity and Oliver went to go pick up burgers for everyone. When it was just the three guys and Caitlin, Caitlin felt a bit more relaxed. While Felicity was a great friend and Oliver was proving himself to be one as well, she felt a bit more comfortable around the other guys. Maybe it was because they had been the first ones to befriend her, maybe it was because she related to them a bit more; whatever the reasoning, she was glad to have this brief time with them.

"Cait, I want someone walking with you at all times, alright?" Cisco asked softly and Caitlin frowned.

"Guys, I can't let Jay Garrick win and if I succumb to my fear, then he's already won," she reminded them but Cisco was shaking his head, with Hartley quickly mirroring his actions.

"It's not about if Garrick wins or not, Cait, it's about you being safe," Jay said with conviction and she sighed before glancing at Barry.

"I'm with them, baby," he said quietly and she sighed again. She knew that they had her best interest at heart and didn't want to see anything more happen to her. Thinking it over, she made a split-second decision.

"I'll think about it," she agreed. "But that's all I can agree to for now."

Caitlin watched as Cisco opened him mouth to protest but Hartley quickly elbowed him.

"Don't push it," he muttered and Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly.

Oliver and Felicity eventually returned with food, and they all ate, then spent the rest of the day talking about other things. When night came, they all decided they were staying again.

"You guys know that when Nicole returns tomorrow evening you'll all actually not be able to stay here, right?" Caitlin asked after her and Felicity came back down in their pajamas. Barry nodded his head, the other three guys quickly following his lead.

"We know. It's just that I don't really feel safe leaving you and Felicity here alone while Nicole is still gone, babe," Barry murmured as he pulled her onto his chest. The reasoning was simple enough so she let it go, instead choosing to focus on how safe she felt again that night.


	26. Chapter 26

Monday morning rolled around and Caitlin woke up with nerves evident in her stomach. Nicole had returned home around five in the evening yesterday, after everyone but Felicity had gone home. Barry had promised to come by and see Caitlin after a couple of hours, which he did. The two of them talked about their plan of action to talk to Coach West. When he left, Caitlin was feeling more comfortable and confident about talking with the football coach. Caitlin wished she could say the same about when she woke up Monday morning.

Caitlin eased herself out of bed, despite the protesting from her ribs. She was lucky; she could hide most of her pain from Nicole. However, Nicole did find out about her ankle. She asked Caitlin what happened and Caitlin had to come up with some quick excuse about twisting it on a walk with Felicity. She wasn't sure if Nicole completely believed her or not, but she got an ace bandage and wrapped it for her goddaughter nonetheless.

Caitlin got ready for school, making sure she had everything. After she had her clothes on, she wrapped her sweater around her and made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Nicole had the coffee already made.

"How's the ankle, Cait?" Nicole asked gently and Caitlin smiled as much as she could.

"Fine, still a little sore but nothing unmanageable," Caitlin promised as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Of course, this small movement irritated her ribs and she worked hard to suppress the grimace that wanted to etch itself across her features. Once she had her coffee, she leaned back against the kitchen counter and took a sip, glancing at her watch all the while.

"Sorry, Nicole, but I don't really have a lot of time to stay and talk this morning," she murmured apologetically but Nicole waved it off.

"It's fine, I've got to get into the office anyways. Let me just get you a to go cup for your coffee," Nicole replied. After Caitlin filled up her to go cup, she heard a soft knock at their door.

"That's Barry, I should go," she said and Nicole nodded her head.

"Alright, have a good day," Nicole said and Caitlin smiled. She made her way to the front door, grabbing her bag from the couch as she did so. Once she opened the door, she spotted Barry's determined face and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You look like you're on a mission," she chuckled as she shut the door softly. Barry immediately interlocked his fingers with hers' and the pair made their way off her front porch and down her driveway.

"I am. Today is the day you talk to Coach West," he said quietly.

"I know," she replied and she did. She was nervous but she knew it was for the best.

Barry seemed to pick up on the fact that she was nervous because he rubbed soothing circles into the back of her palm.

"It'll be okay, sweetheart. I'll be there every step of the way with you. Well, Oliver and myself," he amended a moment later and Caitlin laughed slightly before sobering up.

"I know, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. I don't think I'd be able to talk to him on my own," she said.

"You would," Barry said reflexively. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You can do far more than you think you can; I mean, look at everything you've already done."

Caitlin thought over his words. She had done a lot already: she had survived an attack, twice, and had ignored all of Jay's continuous taunts and stalking. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Barry," she said softly and he squeezed her hand.

Once they reached the school, they bypassed their lockers completely and headed to the gym. Oliver said he'd meet them right outside and there he was, waiting with Felicity.

"Hey, Cait," Oliver greeted her gently. "You ready to do this?"

"As I'll ever be," she replied and he smiled at her while Felicity nodded her head encouragingly. She hung back while Caitlin, Barry, and Oliver made their way inside the gym and towards Coach West's office. Once there, Oliver knocked on the door and, after a moment, it opened and Coach West peered at the three of them before smiling.

"Queen, what can I do for you guys?" Coach West asked and Oliver tilted his head towards Caitlin.

"Cait has something she wants to tell you," he replied and Coach West opened the door wider and all three of them piled in. He sat down at his desk and looked expectantly at Caitlin. She glanced at Barry who gave her an encouraging smile. She took a deep breath, and began explaining everything, not leaving anything out. She told Coach West all about the party, then the consistent texts, the rose in her locker, all the way up to the attack at her house. Once she was done, she lifted her shirt slightly to show him her ribcage as proof.

Coach West narrowed his eyes as she lowered her shirt and bit her lip.

"First, I want to say I'm sorry, Caitlin," he said gently and she smiled as much as she could. It seemed like he believed her. He turned to look at Oliver and Barry.

"Can you two verify what she's saying? I hate to ask, but I have to," he asked. Oliver was quick to nod his head.

"Yes, I was one of the people who found Caitlin in my house," he replied quickly and Coach West nodded his head grimly.

"Well, I don't tolerate students hurting other students. He's off the team at the very least," he muttered before looking back at Caitlin,

" Why didn't you go to the cops?" Coach West asked and she sighed.

"I didn't want to. Nicole, my godmother, was at the hospital with me and we decided it'd be best if we just handled it on our own," she replied honestly.

"And does your godmother know that he attacked you again this weekend?" Coach West asked and Caitlin bit her lip anxiously.

"I-I didn't want to worry her. She was out of town on a business trip and she didn't need to come home to that," she murmured. Coach West studied her.

"I can't force you to go to the police. However, I strongly urge you to do so," he told her seriously. Caitlin looked at him for a long moment before nodding her head.

"I will," she murmured. They continued talking for a bit longer before the they were dismissed, with Coach West writing a note for all three of them to explain why they were late to their first period class. They filed out of his office and Caitlin sighed deeply. She felt a bit better now than she had when she first arrived but she was still worried; she wasn't sure what kind of backlash she'd be facing with Jay once he was kicked off the team. That left her undeniably nervous.


	27. Chapter 27

Caitlin didn't feel the true repercussions of going to Coach West until lunch time, when Jay stalked over to her table.

"Snow," he spat and she looked up in surprise.

"Garrick," she replied calmly, wondering what it was that he wanted. He slammed his hands down on the table, encroaching in on her space. She took a steadying breath as she looked at him.

"You got me kicked off the football team," he growled and she laughed.

"No, you did that yourself. Now get away from me," she snapped and watched as Hartley and Cisco stood up, with Oliver and Barry quickly coming over.

"Get away from my girlfriend, Garrick," Barry snarled and Caitlin noticed that his fist was clenching next to his side. Jay looked around but Caitlin realized he recognized defeat and slowly pulled away from Caitlin.

"This isn't over, Snow," he warned her darkly before turning on his foot and walking away. Caitlin tried to slow her heart rate down and steady her breathing; it wasn't helping her ribs heal any faster. Barry glared at Jay's retreating form for a long moment before Caitlin tapped his wrist and he turned to look at her.

"It's fine, babe," she murmured. He stared at her before shooting Jay's back one filthy glare more before settling in his seat, with Oliver taking the seat next to Felicity.

"I hate him," Barry breathed out and Caitlin rubbed soothing circles into the back of his palm.

"It's fine," she reiterated in a quieter voice and perhaps it was the soothing tone she was using, but Barry visibly relaxed. He studied her for a long moment before nodding his head.

"Alright," he muttered and took a bite of his sandwich. The group then each ate their own lunch, light chatter filling up the quieter times. Caitlin rotated a couple of times, trying to get her ribs to stop protesting but it was pointless. Barry noticed and put his sandwich down.

"Why don't you go home, sweetheart?" Barry murmured but she shook her head.

"It'll raise more questions and suspicions with Nicole and that's something I don't need right now," she muttered. "I'll just stick it out."

He sighed as he rubbed a soothing hand on her back. He nodded his head a moment later but kept his soothing hand on her back for the rest of the lunch period, a constant reminder that he was there. When the bell rang, they all got up and threw away their trash together, something Caitlin noticed. However, Jay must've noticed too, because he kept his distance so Caitlin didn't protest it.

They split up for their afternoon classes, with Barry promising her he'd meet her outside of Calculus.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

True to his word, Barry was standing outside of her door when the bell rang and she wondered how he got out of gym so fast, then realized Coach West probably dismissed him early so he could be there when the bell rang. Smiling slightly, she kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Ready?" Barry asked softly and she nodded her head. They interlocked their fingers and made their way towards her locker, where, thankfully, no more damage had been done to it. It seemed like Jay was losing his nerve.

She opened her locker and placed all the books she wouldn't need inside of it while taking out the books she would need. When she closed it, they made their way over to Barry's locker as Caitlin slipped her sweater on. She winced at the movement but shook it off.

"How was the rest of your day, sweetheart?" Barry murmured as he took out his stuff.

"Fine," she shrugged. "Just my afternoon classes and Hartley and Cisco acting like ridiculous body guards."

Barry laughed softly. "It's only because they care."

"I know," Caitlin smiled gently. Just then Caitlin felt someone ram into her shoulder and she went flying into the locker in front of her with a gasp. Turning around quickly, she spotted Jay's retreating back and the sound of his laughter echoing in her ears. Sighing, she rubbed her shoulder as Barry seethed next to her.

"It's fine, can't prove it was him, regardless. Besides, I think if that's all he's doing, he's losing his nerve," Caitlin murmured and Barry looked at her before cutting his eyes back to Jay.

"Still hate him," he snapped and she winced but knew he wasn't mad at her. Sighing, she held his hands.

"Let's go," she murmured and pulled him towards the entrance of the school.

On their walk, they didn't say much; each absorbed in their own thoughts too much to bother caring on with a conversation. It wasn't until they were about five minutes from the entrance of their neighborhood did Barry speak up.

"Hey, Cait?" Barry asked.

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure that Nicole would want to send you back to London?" Barry asked quietly and she narrowed her eyes.

"Why?" Caitlin demanded and he sighed as he ran a hand over the back of his neck.

"Nothing. I-I just think you might want to consider talking to her," he mumbled. Caitlin shook her head fiercely.

"No, no way." Caitlin replied adamantly. "There's no way I'm dragging her even further into this mess; it's already bad enough that all of you are caught in the middle of it."

"We're not "caught in the middle" of anything. We're here because we care about you and want to make sure you're alright," Barry stated firmly and the retort that was on the tip of her tongue fell away at the look on his face. She sighed.

"Alright, I can appreciate that. I just…I just don't want Nicole to get hurt. She's all I have," Caitlin murmured an Barry frowned.

"Sweetheart, I'm sure she'd want to know," he replied softly but Caitlin was adamant.

"No."

Barry sighed but didn't per sue the topic, nor did she keep engaging in it. They made it to her house and she wound her arms around his waist and kissed him.

"Look, I don't want to fight with you," she murmured.

"Neither do I," he interjected before stealing one more kiss. She laughed.

"Then let's not. I just don't want to put Nicole in danger, you must respect that," she added softly and he sighed as he pressed his forehead against hers'.

"Alright," he murmured after another moment of silence. She smiled as she kissed him once more.

"I'll see you later," she said softly and he nodded his head as she unwound her arms from around his waist and began to make her way up the driveway.

"Oh, and Cait?" Barry called to her and she paused as she looked at him.

"Nothing else is going to happen to you," he promised and she smiled before heading into the house.


	28. Chapter 28

Nicole came home sometime around six-thirty, giving Caitlin ample opportunity to get herself together before she saw her godmother. She had taken a few Tylenol for her ribs and had completed all her homework; she had just settled into making dinner when her godmother had called out for her.

"Cait, I'm home!" Came Nicole's voice and a moment later, she was walking into the kitchen.

"Something smells good," Nicole added and Caitlin smiled.

"I made pasta, hope that's okay," Caitlin replied as she stirred the sauce and Nicole hummed.

"You know carbs are more than fine by me," Nicole chuckled and Caitlin matched her laughter.

"Good, dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes," Caitlin said.

"Alright, kiddo, I'm going to change into something more comfortable," Nicole stated before heading on upstairs. It wasn't even five minutes later that Caitlin heard a scream, followed by a loud thump. Pasta being forgotten, Caitlin turned off the stove and raced up the stairs, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through her ribs.

"Nicole?" Caitlin yelled as she ran to her godmother's room. She found Nicole on the ground, unconscious, and slid to a stop on her knees next to her. She reached out a shaking hand and shook her godmother.

"Nicole, wake up," Caitlin begged but it made no difference; Nicole remained unconscious. Just then, someone cleared their throat, and Caitlin whipped her head around, heart hammering in her throat. Jay emerged from a dark corner in Nicole's room.

"Jay, what the hell did you do to her?" Caitlin demanded and he smirked.

"Nothing, just made sure she wouldn't get in our way," he replied calmly as he edged closer. Caitlin looked down at Nicole one last time before getting to her feet and fleeing from the room. If she could just get to her front door and out of the house, she'd be able to run to Barry's house and get help. No such luck; Jay caught up with her literally after she made it about ten feet away from him. She felt the needle being plunged into her skin before she saw it. Black pinpricks popped along her vision, and she stumbled.

"We're going somewhere we can talk," Jay murmured as he wrapped his arms around her. She slumped forward, surrendering into the darkness.

Author's note: Just a super, extremely short one to get where I need the story to be. Hang in there, it'll go back to being longer. If you're also looking for a new story to check out, I published one called Lens! Look at it if you so wish! XOXO


	29. Chapter 29

Author's note: This chapter is going to be in Barry's POV. Enjoy!

Barry heard a hurried pounding on his door and rushed down the stairs to go answer it, meeting his dad right by the front door. Henry Allen opened it and Barry came face to face with a scared looking Nicole.

"Nicole?" Barry asked hurriedly.

"Caitlin's missing," Nicole gasped.

"What?" Barry asked sharply as his heart stopped. Nicole shifted around on the balls of her feet as she wrung her hands together anxiously.

"I got hit in the head and was unconscious. When I woke up, I couldn't find Caitlin," she said desperately and Henry opened the door further to let her come in.

"Take a deep breath, Nicole, and start from the beginning," Barry encouraged as calmly as he could but he felt as desperate as she sounded. He led her to the couch and she eased down, taking a steadying breath.

"I had just gone upstairs to change out of my work clothes when I was struck on the head by something heavy. I didn't have time to acknowledge what happened before I fell to the floor, going unconscious," Nicole rambled.

"I woke up sometime later and called out for Caitlin, but she never answered. So, I searched the whole house and she's not there, Barry," Nicole gasped.

Barry looked at his father for a moment, trying to keep a clear head.

"We have to call the police," he muttered, running a shaking hand through his hair. Henry nodded.

"Why don't you do that, son, while I check on Nicole's injury?" Henry replied.

"I'm fine," Nicole waved him off with an impatient hand but Barry knew just how stubborn his dad could be.

"I'm a doctor, Nicole, and I'm going to look at your injury," he reiterated firmly. Nicole caved after another moment's hesitation and allowed Henry to peer at the wound on her head while Barry hurriedly dialed for the police.

Soon enough, their whole street was lined with cop cars and Caitlin's house was taped off while the police officers searched high and low for a clue that would indicate Caitlin's whereabouts.

Cisco showed up with Hartley about five minutes after the police showed up.

"Barry? What's going on? Where's Caitlin?" Hartley demanded as they looked around. Barry was sitting shell shocked on the couch and barely registered anything around him. He did register Hartley shaking him.

"Barry!" Hartley exclaimed and he cut his eyes to him before taking a steadying breath.

"Cait is missing," Barry mumbled, still left breathless by the situation he found himself in. Hartley's eyes grew round while Cisco gaped at him.

"What the hell did Jay do?" Cisco growled but Barry didn't have the answer to that.

Just then, Nora Allen walked into the living room with a tray of mugs and set it down on the coffee table.

"Here, my sweet boy, drink some tea," she murmured and placed a cup in Barry's shaking hands. Not knowing what else to do, he sipped some, while waiting for any kind of news.

Soon enough, an officer walked into his house and came to him.

"You're Barry Allen?" The officer asked and Barry nodded his head.

"I'm Officer Tom, just call me Tom," Tom stated and, again, Barry nodded.

"Nicole tells us you're Caitlin's boyfriend," Tom said and Barry exhaled shakily.

"I am, is she going to be okay?" Barry whispered, wiling himself to not break down and cry right then and there.

"I'm going to make sure she is," Tom promised and Barry looked at him in surprise.

"You can't promise that," he muttered but Tom squeezed his shoulder.

"In situations like these, it's hard to want to stay optimistic and I understand that. However, I implore you to not give up hope. Caitlin's going to be needing everyone out there looking for her, helping her to come home," Tom said and Barry nodded his head.

"Alright," he agreed with a fresh surge of determination.

They broke up into groups, searching the neighborhood and surrounding woods, calling out for Caitlin.

After a solid hour of looking and turning up empty, they congregated back at Barry's house where Nicole was talking softly to a fellow officer. Barry looked at her, feeling guilt swirl in his stomach. If he had just forced Caitlin to tell Nicole the extent of Jay's harassment, this could have been avoided.

When the officer left her alone, Barry walked up to Nicole and crouched down in front of her. Her eyes were red rimmed and she seemed to have a hard time catching her breath.

"I told him about Jay. I don't know if he has anything to do with this but I figured…I figured it couldn't hurt," Nicole gasped and Barry squeezed her hand.

"Nicole…" he started but she interrupted him.

"I-I can't lose her, Barry. She's all I have. Her parents entrusted me to take care of her and now she's gone and I…I…just c-can't lose h-her," she gulped. Nora came over and wrapped an arm around Nicole's shoulder as she handed her a cup of tea.

"Drink this, it'll help," she murmured and Nicole took a shaky drink.

"And you're not going to lose her; we're going to find your daughter and bring her back home," Nora promised firmly.

Barry nodded his head.

"We are," he reiterated firmly, refusing to believe anything else.

"Tom!" A shout echoed around the house and all their heads snapped up, looking at a young officer who came running in.

"What is it, Antonio?" Tom asked.

"Just got a call from an anonymous tip," Antonio explained.

"They said they heard a girl and guy shouting in a warehouse not far from her house," Antonio carried on.

Barry felt hope swirl up inside of him as he looked at Tom beseechingly.

"Worth considering," Tom muttered and headed out of the door. Barry and Cisco followed him quickly.

"Takes us with you," Barry demanded and Tom looked at him surprise.

"Look kid, it's going to be dangerous," Tom began but Barry held up a hand.

"Please," he implored and Tom studied him.

"You stay behind me and listen to my instructions completely," Tom insisted and Barry nodded his head.

"I must be stupid for going against what I know, but let's go," Tom added and they all clambered in his car.

The drive to the warehouse was silent and Barry was praying hard. When they pulled up to the warehouse, they got out and headed into the warehouse, with Tom drawing his weapon.

Once inside, Barry looked around and immediately spotted Caitlin tied to a pole, tape over her mouth. She seemed to be either unconscious or asleep, Barry wasn't sure which. All he knew was the moment he saw her, he had never felt so relieved in his life. Just as Barry and Cisco got ready to go run to her, Tom threw at an arm, halting them.

"Wait," he whispered sharply and they paused.

Jay came out of the shadows just then, gun drawn.

"Hello," he smiled and Tom raised his weapon higher.

"Drop your weapon," he ordered and Jay laughed.

"You first," he hissed. Barry felt his heart thumping harshly inside his chest as he chanced a glance at Caitlin. She was slowly waking up and seemed to take in the scene before her with round eyes. He heard her trying to talk through the tape.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's almost over," Barry called to her gently, hoping to soothe her.

"Shut up, Allen," Jay snapped.

"Jay, do you really think you're going to walk out of here a free man?" Barry asked and Jay placed the gun next to Caitlin's temple.

"Jay, I'm begging you, please don't do this," Barry asked but Jay merely laughed.

"Why not?" Jay hissed. "It's her fault I lost any chance of a college scholarship, her fault my father wants nothing to do with me anymore."

Barry shook his head. "It's not her fault Jay, and you know that."

While he was talking, Jay's focus had shifted completely to Caitlin and Tom took his opportunity. He shot his gun, landing a bullet in Jay's leg. Jay dropped the gun as he went clattering down and Barry raced to him and kicked it away. He then kicked Jay in the ribs.

"That's for my girlfriend and everything you've done to her this year," he growled before bending down towards Caitlin.

"Hi, baby, hi," he murmured as he eased the tape off her mouth and she looked at him with round eyes.

"Are you hurt, Cait?" Barry asked softly as Tom locked handcuffs onto Jay.

"J-Just my ribs and wrist," she muttered. Barry nodded his head as he went behind her and unwrapped the tape that held her wrists together as Cisco, who had come racing over to them as well, worked on getting her legs free. Once she was untied, Barry scooped her into her arms and she laid her head on his chest.

"Barry Allen, get me out of here," she murmured and closed her eyes. He dropped a kiss to her forehead and smiled.

"I will, baby," he replied and then walked out of there and towards Tom's car, feeling relieved that the worst was over.

Author's note again: I'm thinking there's a few more chapters. Thanks for everyone who's stuck with this story. Means a lot XOXO


	30. Chapter 30

Caitlin woke to a steady beeping and looked around. For the second time in a few short months, she found herself in the hospital. Groaning, she tried to sit up but soon felt a gentle hand pushing her back.

“You need to stay still, baby,” a soothing voice murmured and Caitlin blinked as she turned her head, trying to find him. When their eyes met, she felt the tension seep out of her slowly.

“Barry,” she breathed and he smiled gently at her.

“Hey, baby,” he kissed her knuckles and she glanced down, spotting her other arm in ace bandages and a sling. 

“What…what happened?” Caitlin whispered as she tried to think passed the fog in her brain.

“What do you remember sweetheart?” Barry asked quietly and she tried to think harder but came up empty.

“I-I don’t k-know,” she muttered, afraid for a moment, until Barry began tracing soothing circles into her collar bone.

“That’s alright, sweetheart,” he murmured and she looked at him.  
“You’ve been unconscious for a little over two days and heavily sedated,” he added and she slowly nodded her head – that explained the fogginess in her brain. She smacked her lips then, suddenly realizing how parched her throat was and Barry lifted a cup that had a straw to her lips and she drank some water eagerly. Once she got her fill, she slumped back against the pillows with a sigh.

“Why did I have to be sedated?” Caitlin mumbled, trying to remember anything that happened. Barry looked at her sadly.

“Oh, Cait,” he murmured and she felt fear constrict painfully inside her chest.

“What?” Caitlin whispered and he sighed as he ran a thumb over her collar bone again.

“The doctor wanted to run some tests but you were fighting him pretty hard, screaming for either Nicole or myself. We couldn’t be in the room with you but I swear, I wanted to be. You sounded so scared, saying how Jay was going to break out and come after you. I’ve never heard anyone sound that terrified before,” he said quietly and Caitlin got flickers of that night. 

“Oh,” she mumbled. They sat there in silence for a few moments before Caitlin asked another question.

“Did the doctor get the tests he wanted?” 

“Yes, and I’m happy to say, the only lasting physical damage from this horrid nightmare are a broken arm and three broken ribs,” Barry replied and Caitlin smiled as much as she could, but she knew what he wasn’t saying.

“I’ll still have the emotional damage to get through, though,” she muttered. He squeezed her free hand.

“Listen to me sweetheart: no matter how many bad days you have, I will be with you every step of the way,” he promised her and Caitlin frowned.

“You…you don’t have to be,” she muttered but he shook his head fiercely.

“I will be, though,” he reiterated firmly, leaving no room for doubt. 

She nodded her head slowly and glanced around.

“Where’s Nicole?” Caitlin asked after realizing her godmother wasn’t in the room with them. Barry sighed.

“She’s talking to the trauma counselor assigned to your case,” he said and Caitlin looked at him.

“I have a trauma counselor?” Caitlin whispered, feeling anxious by the idea. He nodded his head and placed his hand on her cheek; she leaned into the touch.

“Yes, her name is Mary. She’s also said I’m allowed to sit in on as many sessions as I need to, as long as you’re comfortable with it,” he replied gently.

“I want you in on all of them,” Caitlin stated and Barry smiled slightly.

“Told her that’s what you’d probably say,” he murmured and Caitlin exhaled shakily before nodding. 

“I’m sorry this happened, Barry,” Caitlin muttered. “I can’t imagine this is how you wanted to spend your senior year.”

“What? By the side of the girl I love, helping her fight her battles? I can’t imagine a better way than that,” he replied softly and she couldn’t detect a trace of insincerity behind his words, so closed her eyes and sighed happily.

“Thank you,” she breathed out and she felt his lips touch her forehead.

“Sleep now, Caitlin,” was the last thing she heard before she succumbed to the darkness once more.


	31. Chapter 31

Trigger warning: Sexual Assault

Caitlin met Mary that night and, despite her initial reaction to a trauma counselor, she found herself feeling somewhat comfortable with her. Mary had assigned their first session for the following morning while she was still in the hospital. Nicole opted to sit out of it since Barry was going to be there and Caitlin was grateful. She wasn't sure what Mary was going to want to talk about but she was certain Nicole wouldn't be able to cope with what Caitlin had to relive.

The next morning dawned bright and early. After finishing her breakfast, (for which Barry snuck in some better coffee than the hospital had to offer), Caitlin heard a soft knock on her door and looked up to see Mary peering in at her.

"Morning Caitlin," Mary said softly.

"Morning," Caitlin murmured.

'May I come in?" Mary asked and Caitlin nodded her head, granting her trauma counselor permission.

Barry had settled himself behind Caitlin, back resting against her pillow, with Caitlin resting against his chest. It's how she felt most comfortable sitting and she knew he understood that she needed him close.

Mary settled herself in the chair next to the bed and smiled gently at Caitlin.

"How are you feeling, Caitlin?" Mary asked and Caitlin thought about it.

"Tired but know I'll feel better once I get the first session under my belt," she murmured.

Mary nodded her head.

"I hate to start off the first session with such a tough topic, but it needs to be addressed," Mary said softly and Caitlin furrowed her brow, looking around at Barry only to see him looking equally as confused.

"What's going to be a tough topic?" Caitlin asked, unsure of why there were knots coiling tightly in her stomach. Mary sighed.

"As a member of your trauma team, I asked Nicole to let me be the one to tell you because I would be able to get you to start recovering immediately," Mary said and Caitlin felt even more nervous.

"Recover from what?" Caitlin whispered.

"The attack," Mary said gently and Caitlin froze. She…she didn't mean…. surely not…

"What attack?" Barry demanded harshly and Caitlin felt his arms wrap tighter around her.

"Caitlin, what do you remember from being Jay's hostage?" Mary asked quietly and Caitlin bit her lip.

"Not much. I sort of…. it's like there's a blank spot in my mind from the moment he injected me with the needle to the moment Barry and the police officer found me," Caitlin muttered, wondering why she couldn't remember anything.

Mary nodded her head.

"That's alright. A lot of people who have PTSD block out the events that triggered the disorder in them in the first place," Mary said wisely.

"So, I, what, blocked out the whole kidnapping?" Caitlin asked in confusion.

"And the attack, yes," Mary agreed. There was that word again. Attack.

"What attack?" Caitlin asked impatiently, not wanting to beat around the bush. Instead of answering, Mary looked at her notes before looking at her again.

"I'm going to walk you through what happened that night, Caitlin," she murmured and Caitlin felt her heart constrict painfully in fear.

"I-I don't think I can," she muttered.

"Is that really necessary?" Barry demanded as he rubbed a hand up her spine.

Mary sighed.

"To begin the healing process, it is," she told him.

Caitlin stared at her for a long moment but she could tell Mary wouldn't budge on this.

"Alright," Caitlin muttered, wanting to get this part over and done with.

"Close your eyes, Caitlin," Mary said softly and Caitlin's eyes fluttered closed.

"Think long and hard: what do you remember about that night?" Came Mary's soft voice.

Caitlin wasn't sure if it was because her voice had a soothing effect on her but she found herself drifting, drifting back to that horrid night.

"I was cooking dinner, Nicole had just come home. I heard a thump and rushed upstairs to find her unconscious," Caitlin murmured as the memories hit her.

"What happened next?"

"I saw Jay come out from behind her bedroom door. He said we needed to go somewhere we could talk; then he injected me with something and I lost consciousness," Caitlin muttered.

"And then?"

"I-I don't remember..."

"Yes, yes you do. Think Caitlin, what happened next?"

It was as if Caitlin suddenly got permission to unlock that side of her memory.

"I woke up in some sort of warehouse, tied to a pole, and Jay was sitting across from me in a chair. He said it was about time I woke up, that he wanted to talk but he didn't, not really…" Caitlin trailed off as the memories washed over her.

"What did he want to do?" Mary asked.

"He…he…oh god…" Caitlin was gasping for air at this point and wrenched her eyes open. Barry pulled her tightly into his chest.

"Can't this wait?" Barry demanded angrily but all Mary did was hand Caitlin a tissue and shook her head.

"No, what happened then Caitlin?" Mary replied simply.

"He…attacked me," she whispered, remembering everything. The way his breath was hot against her ear as he told her how he had dreamed of that moment since he first laid eyes on her. She could feel the way tremors wracked through her body as she just sat there, not being able to fight back.

"I screamed out for help and he screamed at me to shut up," Caitlin muttered as the tears continued to fall.

"Hold on, baby, what are you saying?" Barry whispered and she turned to him, noticing a horror stricken look on his face.

"Oh, Barry, I'm sorry," Caitlin wailed but he simply held her tighter and shushed her.

"Hush, sweetheart, it's okay. This is not your fault," Barry said firmly as he kissed her forehead. She gripped at his shirt tightly as she continued to cry. Mary had succeeded in what she came for; for Caitlin to remember.

She cried for a solid ten minutes until her tears ran dry and all that was left was the occasional sniffle.

She felt tired and drained and laid back down against Barry, whom had resumed rubbing a hand up and down her spine.

"Now what?" Barry asked Mary a little harshly.

"Now, we truly begin the healing process," Mary murmured.

"I understand why you guys didn't want to tell Caitlin but why wasn't I told?' Barry whispered and Mary frowned.

"It wasn't your place to know before Caitlin," she reminded him and he sighed as he nodded, seemingly accepting the answer for what it was worth.

Mary stayed for a bit longer, promising to be back that afternoon to work on their next session then.

Once she left, Caitlin curled even tighter into Barry's chest, trying to burrow herself inside.

She didn't speak for a long time, and neither did he. When the silence became too much, she looked up to spot unshed tears in his eyes.

"Oh, Barry," she murmured sadly. "I'm sorry."

He was quick to shake his head and cup her cheek.

"You listen to me, Caitlin Snow. Nothing, and I mean nothing about this is your fault," he stated and she looked at him.

"I don't…" she tried to say but was interrupted.

"No," Barry growled and Caitlin fell silent.

"This is completely on Jay Garrick," Barry continued. "His actions are down to him alone and you did absolutely nothing wrong, alright baby?"

Caitlin searched Barry's eyes, trying to detect a hint of dishonesty. When she couldn't find any, she nodded her head slowly and eased back down onto his chest.

"Where do we go from here?" Caitlin whispered.

"Forward."

Author's note: I had a hard time writing this chapter, so I hope you guys, as the readers, are okay. Just a little check in with you guys, if you will. Thanks for the love for this story. XOXO


	32. Chapter 32

Caitlin stayed in the hospital for another three days and Mary came to visit each day, twice a day. Her trauma counseling wasn't getting any easier by any means, but Caitlin was learning to deal with what happened. Right before she was due to leave, Mary popped her head into her room one more time.

"This is farewell until next week, Caitlin," Mary smiled and Caitlin returned it. Her therapy was now scheduled weekly, instead of daily, and she was looking forward to having a semblance of normalcy in her life again.

"Thanks for all your help, Mary," Caitlin murmured before hugging the older woman. When they pulled apart, Barry cleared his throat.

"Thanks, Mary," he said sheepishly, and Caitlin knew he was regretting the way he had spoken to her in previous sessions. There was a knowing look in Mary's eyes as she smiled gently at him, too.

"You're welcome, Barry. Take care of Caitlin, alright?" Mary requested.

"Always," Barry replied without hesitation. Caitlin smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time they discharged Caitlin from the hospital and Nicole and Barry got her bundled in the car, she was feeling sleepy.

"Why don't you rest, sweetheart?" Barry whispered as he eased her across his lap and began carding his fingers gently through her hair. The ministrations had a soothing effect and soon, Caitlin felt herself drifting off. It wasn't too much later that Caitlin felt a soft nudge and she opened her eyes sleepily.

"Hmm?"

"We're here, Cait," Nicole said softly and Caitlin looked around; so, they were.

After what felt like much longer than five days, Caitlin was walking into her home, which, at one point, she wasn't sure if she'd ever see again. Smiling softly, she leaned back into Barry's embrace as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Welcome home," he murmured and she sighed contentedly.

"Are you still tired?" Nicole asked and Caitlin thought about it.

"A little bit," she admitted and Nicole nodded her head.

"Why don't you go get situated on the couch and I'll bring you some tea?" Nicole asked and Caitlin hummed her approval before making her way into the living room and easing down on the couch, despite the fiery protesting from her ribs. She reached out for Barry, who sat down next to her and helped her stretch out like a cat across him.

"That's better," she sighed happily as he carded his fingers through her hair.

"Rest now, Caitlin," he murmured and she felt herself drifting back off into a dreamless sleep, utterly content to just be there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When she woke up, it was to the sound of soft chatter.

"I want to say thank you for being there for her, Barry," Cisco murmured. Caitlin wasn't sure what Cisco was doing there and was about to ask when she heard other voices filter into the conversation.

"And did Jay really…you know…." this was Felicity's voice; desperate and scared. Caitlin sighed as she opened her eyes.

"He attacked me, yes, Licity," she murmured as she looked at her, before looking at the other people in the room. Hartley and Cisco were sitting on the floor, Oliver and Felicity occupying the two chairs. That left Caitlin and Barry on the couch.

"Where's Nicole?" Caitlin asked sleepily and Barry rubbed her shoulder.

"She went to go talk to Tom and the rest of the officers. She's trying to see if they have enough evidence for you to bypass having to go to court with Jay. She thinks they may have enough so you don't have to be there at all, sweetheart," he murmured and that eased some of the anxiety she didn't even realize she had been harboring; she wasn't sure if she could cope with seeing Jay again.

"That'd be great," she said as she sat up, with Barry's hand a constant on her back, helping her.

"Oh, Cait," Felicity murmured and Caitlin looked back at her friend, spotting tears she was furiously blinking back.

"It's okay, Licity, really. I'm just tired," she said softly and Oliver got up, made his way to Felicity, and eased her out of the chair so he could sit there and she could rest on his lap, instead.

"I was so scared," Cisco whispered and Caitlin looked at him and Hartley, who too wore a look a pure fear, and Caitlin sighed.

"I'm alright guys, really," she said and they nodded their heads. She didn't want them to pity her or treat her like she was fragile; what happened, happened, and it'd do none of them any good to sit around, agonizing over what Jay did.

"Do you want your tea now?" Barry asked. "You fell asleep before Nicole could give it to you but I can reheat it for you."

She nodded her head. "Yes, please."

Hartley stood up just then. "I'll go heat it up."

He picked her cup off the coffee table and headed to the kitchen, trying to keep his eyes averted from hers', but she saw the tears he had, as well. Oliver cleared his throat.

"Good to have you back, Cait," he murmured and she dipped her head appreciatively.

"Thanks, Ollie," she smiled.

"I talked to Coach West this morning. Jay's been expelled from school and is looking at prison time if a jury convicts him," Oliver added.

"Which they will, given your involvement in your trauma therapy," Barry reiterated and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Good,"i she breathed out. She wasn't sure if Nicole would succeed in her pursuit of Caitlin not having to go to court, but she hoped with every fiber in her being that she would; she wasn't ready to face that monster again. She wasn't sure if she would ever be ready.

The group continued to talk, catching up Caitlin on what she had missed in school.

"All of your teachers have given you extensions on your assignments, even saying you could take your winter finals at home," Hartley mentioned and Caitlin smiled.

"That sounds very doable," she agreed. She wasn't ready to go back to school where, she felt quite certain, that she'd be the talk of gossip for the next several weeks to come.

Soon enough, everyone left and it was just Barry and Caitlin, waiting for Nicole to return.

"You look tired, baby," Barry murmured as he traced the circles underneath her eyes. She shrugged.

"Nothing unmanageable," she smiled and he huffed out a laugh.

"Always so stubborn," he muttered and she nodded her head.

"Always," she whispered.

They sat there, talking, until Nicole came home and declared that she had proven that the police had more than enough evidence for a jury to convict Jay and she wouldn't have to go to court. It was harder to tell who was more ecstatic over that bit of information; Barry or Caitlin. When it was time for him to leave, Barry kissed Caitlin gently, seemingly not caring that Nicole was in the room with them.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright baby?" Barry asked softly.

Caitlin nodded. "Tomorrow."

Author's note: Just about wrapping up this story and then I'm going to have Lens to work on. After last night's episode, I already have another idea for a story I want to start so I might make those two my main ones. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for riding this ride with me! XOXO


	33. Chapter 33

Caitlin stayed in trauma therapy for the rest of her first semester of school. By the time the Christmas holidays rolled around, she was exhausted to the bone. Each session brought painful memories; with the memories, came tears. Some days she felt like she was a lost cause; was never going to get better. When she was attacked, she blocked out the experience, but her therapist needed her to remember to heal. Those memories didn't come without consequences.

"My therapist says I have anxiety," Caitlin admitted dully to Nicole one night over Chinese. Nicole had picked it up on her way home, stating the Caitlin deserved to have a night off from cooking dinner.

"Okay, what's the course of action?" Nicole asked immediately, and Caitlin sighed.

"Treatment for that too," she mumbled, and Nicole nodded her head.

"Like medication?" Nicole asked gently, and Caitlin huffed out a sigh.

"Considering I had a full-blown panic attack in session today, Mary recommends medication "as needed"," Caitlin laughed bitterly, eyes welling.

"Oh, sweetheart," Nicole murmured, and Caitlin shrugged a weary shoulder.

"Doesn't seem to matter now," she muttered.

"I took anxiety medication, you know," Nicole admitted truthfully, and Caitlin looked at her in surprise.

"When?" Caitlin asked incredulously. Not, in all the years had she lived with her, had Caitlin ever heard her godmother admit to something like that. Nicole smiled gently.

"When I lost my two best friends, kiddo. I got put on them the week after your parents died and you were officially entrusted into my care," she said.

"You never told me that, Nicole," Caitlin commented in surprise.

"It wasn't your job to take care of me, kiddo. I was the parent," Nicole shrugged a shoulder, and Caitlin smiled slightly, feeling a bit better.

"Did it change anything?" Caitlin whispered.

"No, I didn't let it. Like I'm going to tell you to not let it. If you must take medication here and there to manage periods of great anxiety in your life, so be it," Nicole said simply. Caitlin thought over her words, before eventually nodding her head.

"Alright," she whispered. Nothing more was said as the two women continued to quietly eat their dinner.

XXXX

Barry came to Caitlin's house about fifteen minutes after they cleared the table. Caitlin answered the door, and he kissed her on the forehead.

"Hi, baby," he murmured.

"Hi, yourself," she replied softly.

"I'll be in at eleven," she called to Nicole, who just nodded her head, and smiled to Barry.

Once Barry had led her to the steps leading off her front porch, they sat down, with him wrapping his arm around her, and tucking herself into his side. She sighed in contentment.

"How was your session with Mary?" Barry asked quietly. Where she was honest with Nicole about her sessions, she was equally as honest with Barry, if not more. She chose her words carefully.

"I, uh, may have had a full-blown panic attack this afternoon after school," Caitlin commented quietly.

"Baby," Barry soothed, kissing the side of her head.

"It's alright, we came up with a plan if it happens again," Caitlin said, preparing herself for what she was about to admit.

"Which was?" Barry asked gently.

"Medication, as needed," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

Barry didn't miss a beat.

"Alright, baby," he murmured, brushing his nose against her ear. She opened her eyes.

"Alright?" Caitlin repeated, certain she had misunderstood him. He smiled encouragingly at her.

"Alright," he repeated, and Caitlin stared at him for a long moment, before kissing him gently.

"I love you," she murmured.

"I love you, too," he said softly, and they fell quiet for a few moments, taking in the peacefulness of the winter night.

"How's your dreaming, Cait?" Barry asked after a few moments of peaceful silence. She sighed.

"I-I still dream about the night every night, sometimes multiple times a night," she admitted. Barry squeezed her hand.

"I have a present for you," he murmured, and she looked at him.

"We agreed to exchange gifts Christmas Eve," she reminded him, and he sent her a fond smile.

"This is a "just because" gift," he reassured her, and she laughed gently.

"Thanks," she murmured. He stood up and walked towards the side of the porch, picking up a giftbag she hadn't seen when she first walked out.

He placed it into her hands, and she looked at him; he smiled at her encouragingly.

Once she opened it, she came across two things. The first, was a dream catcher, woven together with beads. She stared at it, taking in all the details of it, before kissing Barry softly.

"Thank you, it's perfect," she murmured against his lips.

"So, for whenever you have bad dreams," he said softly, stealing one more kiss. She nodded her head.

"I know."

"Open the other gift, Cait," he encouraged, and she did so. She soon found herself looking at a gray diary, almost with a vintage hint to it, and looked at Barry with a wide smile.

"I know you like to journal, you've told me so before. You also mentioned you were running down to the last few pages of your current journal. Can't have that, can we?" Barry murmured.

Blinking back tears at his thoughtfulness, she shook her head. "No."

"So, what I want you to do with this journal is every time you have a dream, good or bad, write about it. That way, you can analyze it in therapy or just go back and look it over," he murmured.

"I think, Barry Allen, you are amazing," she whispered, tears falling.

"There's one more part of the gift. Open the journal," he said softly. Looking at him curiously, she did so, to find two tickets staring at her.

"These are plane tickets to London," she said, not quite sure what to think. Barry nodded his head.

"They are. Our flight leaves in two days," he murmured, and she stared at him.

"We're going to London?" Caitlin asked happily, and he nodded again. She launched herself at him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Caitlin cried, and he laughed gently.

"We've had this planned for a while," he said.

"Who's we?" Caitlin asked, laughing at little out of pure happiness.

"Nicole, my mother, and myself," Barry admitted. She grinned.

"How long are we there for?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"A week," he replied, and Caitlin smiled.

"I love you," she murmured, heart utterly content.

He presses his forehead against hers', and she inhaled the scent of him.

"I love you, too," he replied, kissing her gently.

Nothing more was said; nothing more needed to be. They just sat there together, enjoying their time together. Caitlin felt safe.

Author's note: Will probably do an epilogue to this, thanks for all who have stuck with me! XOXO


	34. Chapter 34

Epilogue:

Winter came early that year, and it brought with it a beautiful, winter storm. London was always cold this time of year, but it was exceptionally cold tonight.

"Remind me why you and Barry agreed on a wedding in London. In the dead of winter," Cisco sighed dramatically as Caitlin finished applying her make up. She laughed at her friend.

"Because, Barry fell in love with the city, too. And, we've already bought a vacation home here. Our honeymoon is here, too. Need I go on?" Caitlin asked, and Cisco rolled his eyes.

"Point made," he muttered. Caitlin shot him a self-satisfied smirk.

"Good."

Just then, Hartley peeked his head in, and smiled warmly at Caitlin once he saw her.

"You look radiant, Cait," he murmured, and she smiled gently at him.

"Thanks, Hartley," she said softly. She fastened the veil the way she liked it, and then accepted the bouquet Hartley handed her, with Cisco offering her his arm. Both guys had been her best friends for the past eight years, so it only seemed fitting that they walk her down the aisle. Nicole had graciously handed over that position to them, stating that if she got pictures, she was alright with whatever Caitlin decided to do with her wedding party. In addition to them both walking her down the aisle, they were also her best men. Felicity was her maid of honor. Everything was the way it should be.

"We better get down there," Cisco said, and Caitlin smiled as she looped her other arm through Hartley's.

She took one last look around the room, before nodding her head.

"Let's go," she murmured, and they were off.

XXXXX

She spotted him the same second her spotted her, and they both split into wide grins. Cisco and Hartley's arms wrapped around hers' were the only thing that kept her grounded as her feet carried her forward on their own accord. When she reached him at long last, she smiled as Hartley and Cisco both kissed her cheek, and passed her off to Barry. Her soon to be husband smiled as he held her hand, and she sighed, finally finding herself at home.

Author's note: Just to wrap it up. This was how I wanted it to always end. Thanks so much for reading it guys. I appreciate it. XOXO


End file.
